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The movie features a impressive ensemble, depicting the real-life story of Irish boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, who mentored a brash Sheffield teenager from Middle Eastern immigrant family. Dubbed Naseem Hamed, the youngster was coached to confront racist bullies and molded into a media-friendly world champion in the late 90s. The trainer nurtured his showboating arrogance and lethal fists, but after becoming rich, the boxer betrayed his mentor, cutting him out and turning him into a mix of Falstaff and Danny Rose.

Performers and Roles

Brosnan portrays the trainer; Amir El-Masry embodies the part of the prince, and Toby Stephens appears as the assertive promoter Warren, who saw the goldmine that the coach had uncovered.

Film’s Shortcomings

However, the movie frankly misses the fighter’s fancy footwork: the fight scenes flow well, but the crucial story between them is consistently flat and monotonous. It lacks nuance or contrast in the depiction of the protagonist himself, and El-Masry, an otherwise excellent talent, isn’t given the chance to display any depth or much of what might make his role truly engaging – although he’s clearly been working out and appears convincing in the boxing arena.

Problems with Script and Sound

The drama is repeatedly burdened by functional, expositional dialogue that tell you exactly what is going on and what we are meant to feel (“You started your boxing journey at seven years old …”). It is the sort of script that streaming-TV executives call “double-screen”, making sure you understand what’s going on while you’re watching the movie but also glancing at your phone. Additionally, the background music is overpowering, sometimes almost deafening, particularly in the scene where the boxer gets overexcited visiting the promoter in his palatial home.

Acting and Pivotal Scenes

Although El-Masry and Brosnan do their very utmost, their relationship never really ignites, and the big set-piece boxing moments are frequently disappointingly cut short. The most important scene is certainly when, goaded past his limit in the gym one day by Hamed as a delusional “old man”, the trainer actually proposes to get in the ring and box him. Everyone in the room is stunned and uneasy. How exactly is this extremely risky standoff going to play out? What will be the ending? Certainly the champion is going to defeat him? Alternatively will he emotionally hold back? It’s not clear.

Bright Spots and Comedy

This isn’t to imply that there are no some good moments. The actor elicits humor when his character informs a reporter what he’s teaching the youths from his local community: to oppose prejudice and when you encounter a paedophile, “Hit them in the bollocks”. It’s funny too when the boxer squirms at the ridiculous antics Ingle makes him do in the beginning: posing as the “beast from the Middle East”.

Storyline and Final Thoughts

As for the rift, the movie shows this as being exacerbated by a tell-all book that the trainer is supposed to have written (a plot point evidently adapted from prior material), and there is an intriguingly imagined final conversation – however the heartfelt homage that Hamed is supposed to have paid to Ingle after his passing is merely referenced in the end titles, and not shown on screen. There is engaging content in this film, but the punches don’t land.

Giant screened at the festival and is available in British and Irish cinemas from January 9.