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This film features a impressive ensemble, depicting the true tale of coach Brendan Ingle, who guided a brash Sheffield youth from Yemeni migrant family. Dubbed Naseem Hamed, the fighter was coached to confront prejudice and molded into a media-friendly titleholder in the late 90s. Ingle nurtured his flamboyant confidence and lethal fists, but after achieving wealth, Hamed betrayed his mentor, cutting him out and making him a mix of John Falstaff and Broadway Danny Rose.

Cast and Characters

Brosnan plays Ingle; El-Masry embodies the part of the prince, and Toby Stephens appears as the assertive London promoter Frank Warren, who saw the goldmine that Ingle had uncovered.

Film’s Shortcomings

Yet, the film honestly misses the fighter’s fancy footwork: the fight scenes run smoothly, but the crucial drama between them is consistently dull and monotonous. There is no nuance or light and shade in the depiction of Hamed himself, and the actor, an otherwise outstanding performer, isn’t given the chance to display any depth or much of what might make his role truly engaging – even though he’s clearly been training and looks very plausible in the boxing arena.

Problems with Script and Sound

The story is often burdened by utilitarian, expositional lines that tell you precisely what is going on and what we are supposed to be thinking (“Your journey began your career at seven years old …”). This is the sort of dialogue that streaming-TV producers call “double-screen”, making sure you know what’s unfolding while you’re viewing the movie but also glancing at your phone. Additionally, the background music is overpowering, sometimes almost deafening, particularly in the scene where Hamed gets too excited visiting Warren in his palatial residence.

Acting and Pivotal Scenes

Although El-Masry and Brosnan do their considerable best, their dynamic doesn’t quite comes to life, and the major boxing moments are frequently disappointingly truncated. The most important moment is surely when, provoked beyond endurance in the gym one day by Hamed as a delusional “elder”, the trainer in fact offers to get in the ring and fight him. Everyone in the room is shocked and uneasy. How exactly is this extremely risky standoff going to unfold? What will be the ending? Surely the champion is going to defeat him? Alternatively will he emotionally hold back? It’s not clear.

Bright Spots and Comedy

That’s not to say that there aren’t some nice jabs. Brosnan elicits humor when his character tells a reporter what he’s teaching the youths from his local community: to reject prejudice and when you encounter a offender, “Punch him in the groin”. Amusing too when the boxer fidgets at the ridiculous stunts Ingle makes him do in the beginning: posing as the “beast from the Middle East”.

Storyline and Final Thoughts

As for the falling out, the movie depicts this as being worsened by a revealing publication that the trainer is allegedly written (a story element evidently adapted from prior material), and there is an intriguingly conceived last discussion – although the emotional tribute that the boxer is supposed to have given to his mentor after his death is merely mentioned in the closing credits, and not shown on film. Some interesting material in this film, but the punches don’t land.

The film screened at the London film festival and is in UK and Irish cinemas from January 9.