The film flipflops in tone, and isn’t helped by the near-cartoonish characters in its supporting cast. Foster’s Jim utters lines like, ‘This lady boxing business… maybe there’s something to it’, and later, ‘There is no Christy Martin without me!’ when he’s manipulated her into a professional and personal life bound to him. Martin’s mother, too, occupies quite an aggravating role as the condescending, conservative mother – ‘Oh Christy, you need to get your act together,’ is her response when Martin opens up about the domestic abuse she is experiencing. Granted, Merritt Wever makes the best of this flat character, and a scene of hers did once prompt a loud, ‘fuck you!’ from one audience member at the Royal Festival Hall’s packed LFF gala screening, which got quite a laugh. More nuance in this mother-daughter relationship would’ve been appreciated.
