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This film boasts a talented cast, depicting the true tale of coach Ingle, who guided a cheeky Sheffield youth from Middle Eastern migrant parents. Known as Naseem Hamed, the youngster was taught to confront racist bullies and transformed into a media-friendly titleholder in the late 90s. The trainer nurtured his flamboyant confidence and powerful punches, but after becoming rich, Hamed turned against his coach, excluding him and turning him into a mix of Falstaff and Danny Rose.

Performers and Roles

Brosnan plays Ingle; El-Masry embodies the role of Hamed, and Stephens appears as the assertive promoter Warren, who recognized the goldmine that Ingle had discovered.

Where the Movie Falls Short

Yet, the movie frankly lacks the Prince’s fancy footwork: the fight scenes flow well, but the crucial story in between is consistently flat and one-note. There is no subtlety or light and shade in the depiction of the protagonist himself, and the actor, an otherwise excellent talent, doesn’t get the chance to show 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 story is often lumbered with functional, expositional lines that inform you exactly what is going on and what we are supposed to be thinking (“You started your career at seven years old …”). This is the sort of script that streaming-TV producers call “double-screen”, ensuring you know what’s unfolding while you’re viewing the movie but also checking your device. Additionally, the score is overbearing, sometimes almost overwhelming, especially in the scene where Hamed gets too excited calling on Warren in his palatial home.

Performances and Key Moments

While El-Masry and Brosnan do their considerable best, their relationship doesn’t quite ignites, and the major boxing moments are frequently anticlimactically cut short. A key scene is certainly when, provoked past his limit in the gym one day by the boxer as a misguided “old man”, Ingle actually proposes to step into the ring and box him. All present in the room is stunned and uneasy. How exactly is this extremely risky standoff going to play out? How precisely the ending? Certainly the Prince is going to kill him? Alternatively will he emotionally pull his punches? It’s not clear.

Highlights and Humor

That’s not to say that there aren’t some nice jabs. Brosnan elicits humor when his character informs a reporter what he’s teaching the youths from his neighborhood: to oppose prejudice and when you meet a paedophile, “Punch him in the groin”. Amusing too when Hamed fidgets at the ridiculous antics the coach makes him do in the beginning: posing as the “monster from the Middle East”.

Plot and Conclusion

Regarding the rift, the movie shows this as being exacerbated by a tell-all publication that the trainer is allegedly written (a story element evidently adapted from prior material), and there is an intriguingly imagined last discussion – however the emotional tribute that the boxer is reportedly given to his mentor after his death is merely referenced in the closing credits, and not shown on film. There is engaging content here, but the blows don’t land.

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