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The movie boasts a impressive ensemble, telling the true tale of coach Ingle, who mentored a cheeky Yorkshire teenager from Yemeni migrant parents. Dubbed Naseem Hamed, the youngster was taught to confront prejudice and transformed into a celebrity titleholder in the late 90s. Ingle nurtured his showboating arrogance and powerful punches, but after achieving wealth, the boxer turned against his mentor, cutting him out and turning him into a blend of Falstaff and Danny Rose.

Performers and Roles

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

Where the Movie Falls Short

Yet, the movie frankly misses the Prince’s agility: the fight scenes run smoothly, but the crucial story between them is consistently dull and monotonous. It lacks nuance or contrast in the depiction of the protagonist himself, and the actor, an otherwise excellent talent, doesn’t get the chance to display any depth or much of what might make his role truly engaging – even though he’s clearly been working out and appears convincing in the ring.

Problems with Script and Sound

The story is repeatedly burdened by utilitarian, expositional lines that inform you precisely what is happening and what we are meant to feel (“Your journey began your boxing journey at seven years old …”). This is the kind of script that streaming-TV executives call “double-screen”, ensuring you know what’s going on while you’re viewing the film but also checking your device. Additionally, the score is overpowering, at times almost overwhelming, particularly in the moment where Hamed gets overexcited calling on Warren in his luxurious home.

Acting and Pivotal Scenes

Although El-Masry and Brosnan do their considerable best, their relationship never really ignites, and the big set-piece boxing moments are often anticlimactically cut short. The most important scene is surely when, goaded beyond endurance in the gym one day by the boxer as a delusional “elder”, Ingle actually proposes to get in the ring and fight him. All present in the gym is shocked and uncomfortable. In what way is this insanely unwise standoff going to unfold? What will be the ending? Surely the Prince is going to defeat him? Alternatively will he sentimentally pull his punches? It’s not clear.

Bright Spots and Comedy

That’s not to say that there are no some good moments. The actor gets laughs when his character tells a journalist what he’s instructing the youths from his local community: to oppose prejudice and when you encounter a paedophile, “Hit them in the groin”. It’s funny too when Hamed fidgets at the silly stunts Ingle makes him do in the beginning: posing as the “beast from the Middle East”.

Plot and Conclusion

Regarding the falling out, the film shows this as being worsened by a tell-all publication that the trainer is supposed to have written (a story element clearly modified from another source), and there is an intriguingly imagined final conversation – although the emotional tribute that the boxer is reportedly given to his mentor after his death is only referenced in the closing credits, and not shown on screen. Some interesting material in this film, but the blows fail to connect.

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