Christy – Film Review
by Frank L.

Director – David Michôd
Writers – Mirrah Foulkes, Katherine Fugate, David Michôd
Stars – Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever

Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney) lives in the tough working environment of coal-rich West Virginia. As a young woman, she does not fit into her family’s world. That is made clear early on by her mother Joyce Salters (Merrit Wever), who pours scorn on her intimate friendship with Rosie (Jess Gabor).  But an opportunity to fight in Tennessee allows her to show her potential prowess as a boxer, which she duly does. As a result, she comes under the influence of a boxing coach called Jim Martin (Ben Foster). He is twice her age, but she marries him. Initially, they prosper as Christy is a phenomenon as a boxer. But Jim is a control freak and controls all aspects of her life. In reality, Christy is the most successful thing to happen in Jim’s life and deep down, he knows it and resents it. As the success continues, Christy charms legendary fight promoter Don King (Chad Coleman), and her star continues to rise. But as it does, Jim increasingly becomes less relevant to her success, and as a result, he becomes ever more determined to exercise control.

Sweeney and Foster give performances which hold this often bloody film together. Boxing is by its nature violent, but the violence in Christy and Jim Martin’s marriage exceeds anything that happens in a boxing ring. Violence in a marriage must be exposed, and the film makes it clear to a woman that it is far from obvious where she can find a refuge. In her case, there was no support from her biological family. She had to rely on old and new friends outside of her family.

Director David Michod captures the difference in the daily dreariness of Christy’s life in West Virginia and the shiny superficial glamour of being a boxing superstar. But the marriage of convenience Christy made with Jim Martin ultimately came at a horrific price. The gods, however, shone on her in that, notwithstanding that error of judgment of hers as a twenty-two-year-old woman, all was not lost. This is not an easy watch, but it highlights the horrors of domestic violence.