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The movie features a talented cast, depicting the true tale of coach Brendan Ingle, who guided a cheeky Sheffield teenager from Middle Eastern migrant family. Dubbed Naseem Hamed, the youngster was coached to confront prejudice and molded into a media-friendly titleholder in the late 90s. Ingle nurtured his showboating confidence and lethal fists, but after becoming rich, Hamed betrayed his mentor, excluding him and making him a blend of John Falstaff and Danny Rose.

Cast and Characters

Pierce Brosnan plays the trainer; Amir El-Masry takes on the role of the prince, and Stephens is the assertive promoter Warren, who recognized the potential that Ingle had uncovered.

Where the Movie Falls Short

However, the movie honestly lacks the Prince’s agility: the boxing sequences run smoothly, but the all-important story between them is consistently flat and monotonous. There is no subtlety or contrast in the depiction of the protagonist himself, and the actor, an otherwise outstanding performer, doesn’t get the chance to display any depth or much of what might make his role really interesting – although he’s obviously been training and looks very plausible in the boxing arena.

Dialogue and Music Issues

The drama is often lumbered with utilitarian, expositional lines that tell you precisely what is going on and what we are supposed to be thinking (“You started your career at seven years old …”). This is the kind of dialogue that digital producers call “second-screen”, making sure you understand what’s going on while you’re viewing the movie but also checking your phone. Additionally, the background music is overbearing, sometimes almost overwhelming, particularly in the scene where Hamed gets too excited visiting Warren in his palatial home.

Acting and Pivotal Scenes

While El-Masry and Brosnan do their very utmost, their relationship never really comes to life, and the major fight scenes are often disappointingly cut short. A key moment is surely when, provoked past his limit in the gym one day by the boxer as a misguided “elder”, Ingle actually offers to get in the ring and fight him. Everyone in the room is shocked and uneasy. How exactly is this insanely unwise confrontation going to unfold? How precisely the outcome? Surely the champion is going to kill him? Or will he emotionally hold back? It’s not clear.

Bright Spots and Comedy

That’s not to say that there are no some good moments. Brosnan gets laughs when his character tells a reporter what he’s instructing the youths from his local community: to oppose prejudice and when you meet a offender, “Punch him in the groin”. It’s funny too when the boxer fidgets at the ridiculous stunts the coach makes him do in the early days: acting like the “beast from the Middle East”.

Storyline and Final Thoughts

Regarding the rift, the movie depicts this as being exacerbated by a tell-all book that the trainer is supposed to have authored (a story element clearly modified from prior material), and there is an intriguingly imagined last discussion – however the heartfelt homage that Hamed is reportedly paid to Ingle after his passing is merely referenced in the end titles, and not dramatised on film. There is interesting material here, but the blows don’t land.

The film was shown at the London film festival and is in UK and Irish theaters from 9 January.