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This film boasts a impressive cast, telling the true tale of coach Ingle, who guided a brash Sheffield youth from Yemeni migrant family. Dubbed “Prince” Naseem Hamed, the youngster was coached to stand up to prejudice and transformed into a media-friendly titleholder in the late 90s. The trainer cultivated his showboating confidence and lethal fists, but after achieving wealth, Hamed betrayed his mentor, excluding him and turning him into a blend of John Falstaff and Danny Rose.

Cast and Characters

Brosnan plays the trainer; Amir El-Masry takes on the part of the prince, and Toby Stephens is the assertive London promoter Warren, who recognized the goldmine that Ingle had uncovered.

Where the Movie Falls Short

Yet, the film frankly misses the fighter’s fancy footwork: the fight scenes flow well, but the crucial story between them is consistently flat and monotonous. There is no nuance or contrast in the depiction of Hamed himself, and El-Masry, an otherwise outstanding performer, isn’t given the chance to show any depth or much of what might make his character really interesting – although he’s clearly been working out and appears convincing in the ring.

Dialogue and Music Issues

The story is repeatedly lumbered with functional, expositional lines that tell you exactly what is happening and what we are meant to feel (“You started your boxing journey at seven years old …”). This is the kind of dialogue that digital producers call “second-screen”, ensuring you understand what’s unfolding while you’re watching the movie but also glancing at your device. And, the score is overpowering, sometimes nearly overwhelming, especially in the moment where Hamed gets too excited calling on Warren in his luxurious residence.

Performances and Key Moments

While El-Masry and Brosnan do their considerable best, their dynamic doesn’t quite comes to life, and the major boxing moments are frequently disappointingly cut short. The most important moment is surely when, provoked beyond endurance in the gym one day by Hamed as a misguided “elder”, Ingle actually proposes to step into the ring and box him. All present in the room is stunned and uneasy. In what way is this insanely risky standoff going to play out? What will be the ending? Certainly the Prince is going to kill him? Or will he sentimentally pull his punches? The resolution remains ambiguous.

Bright Spots and Comedy

That’s not to say that there are no some nice jabs. Brosnan elicits humor when Ingle tells a reporter what he’s instructing the kids from his local community: to oppose prejudice and when you meet a offender, “Hit them in the groin”. Amusing too when the boxer squirms at the ridiculous stunts Ingle makes him do in the early days: acting like the “beast from the East”.

Storyline and Final Thoughts

As for the rift, the movie depicts this as being exacerbated by a tell-all publication that Ingle is supposed to have written (a plot point evidently modified from another source), and there is an intriguingly conceived last discussion – although the heartfelt homage that the boxer is supposed to have paid to his mentor after his passing is merely referenced in the closing credits, and not shown on film. There is interesting material in this film, but the blows don’t land.

The film was shown at the London film festival and is available in British and Irish cinemas from 9 January.