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The movie boasts a talented cast, depicting the true story of coach Ingle, who guided a cheeky Sheffield youth from Middle Eastern immigrant parents. Known as “Prince” Naseem Hamed, the youngster was taught to stand up to prejudice and molded into a celebrity titleholder in the late 90s. Ingle cultivated his flamboyant arrogance and powerful punches, but after becoming rich, the boxer turned against his mentor, excluding him and making him a mix of Falstaff and Broadway Danny Rose.

Performers and Roles

Pierce Brosnan portrays Ingle; El-Masry takes on the role of Hamed, and Toby Stephens appears as the bullish London promoter Frank Warren, who saw the goldmine that the coach had discovered.

Where the Movie Falls Short

However, the movie frankly lacks the Prince’s fancy footwork: the fight scenes flow well, but the crucial drama between them is repeatedly flat and one-note. There is no subtlety or contrast in the depiction of Hamed himself, and the actor, an otherwise excellent talent, doesn’t get the chance to show any depth or much of what might make his character really interesting – although he’s clearly been training and looks very plausible in the boxing arena.

Problems with Script and Sound

The story is often burdened by functional, explanatory lines that tell you precisely what is happening and what we are meant to feel (“Your journey began your career at age seven …”). It is the sort of script that digital producers call “second-screen”, making sure you know what’s unfolding while you’re watching the movie but also checking your phone. And, the score is overpowering, at times nearly overwhelming, particularly in the moment where the boxer gets overexcited calling on the promoter in his palatial home.

Acting and Pivotal Scenes

While the leads do their considerable utmost, their dynamic never really ignites, and the big set-piece fight scenes are often anticlimactically cut short. The most important moment is certainly when, provoked beyond endurance in the gym one day by Hamed as a delusional “old man”, Ingle in fact offers to step into the ring and fight him. All present in the room is shocked and uneasy. In what way is this extremely unwise confrontation going to unfold? How precisely the ending? Surely the champion is going to defeat him? Or will he emotionally pull his punches? The resolution remains ambiguous.

Bright Spots and Comedy

This isn’t to imply that there are no some good moments. Brosnan elicits humor when his character tells a reporter what he’s instructing 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 Hamed squirms at the ridiculous stunts the coach makes him do in the early days: acting like the “monster from the East”.

Plot and Conclusion

As for the falling out, the movie depicts this as being exacerbated by a revealing publication that Ingle is supposed to have authored (a plot point clearly modified from another source), and there is an intriguingly conceived last discussion – although the emotional tribute that the boxer is reportedly given to his mentor after his death is merely referenced in the closing credits, and not dramatised on film. Some interesting material in this film, but the blows fail to connect.

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