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The movie features a talented cast, depicting the true story of coach Ingle, who mentored a brash Sheffield youth from Middle Eastern immigrant family. Dubbed “Prince” Naseem Hamed, the fighter was taught to confront prejudice and transformed into a celebrity world champion in the late 90s. The trainer cultivated his flamboyant arrogance and powerful punches, but after achieving wealth, Hamed betrayed his coach, cutting him out and turning him into a blend of Falstaff and Broadway Danny Rose.

Cast and Characters

Brosnan portrays Ingle; Amir El-Masry embodies the role of the prince, and Stephens appears as the assertive London promoter Frank Warren, who saw the goldmine that the coach had discovered.

Film’s Shortcomings

However, the film frankly lacks the Prince’s agility: the boxing sequences flow well, but the all-important story between them is repeatedly flat and one-note. It lacks subtlety or contrast in the portrayal of Hamed himself, and the actor, an otherwise outstanding performer, isn’t given the opportunity 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 burdened by functional, explanatory dialogue that tell you precisely what is happening and what we are meant to feel (“You started your boxing journey at age seven …”). It is the kind of script that streaming-TV producers call “double-screen”, making sure you know what’s going on while you’re viewing the movie but also glancing at your phone. Additionally, the background music is overbearing, at times nearly deafening, particularly in the scene where the boxer gets overexcited calling on the promoter in his palatial residence.

Acting and Pivotal Scenes

Although the leads do their very utmost, their relationship doesn’t quite comes to life, and the major fight scenes are often anticlimactically cut short. The most important scene is surely when, provoked past his limit in the training facility one day by Hamed as a delusional “elder”, the trainer actually offers to step into the ring and box him. All present in the gym is shocked and uncomfortable. In what way is this insanely unwise confrontation going to play out? What will be the outcome? Certainly the champion is going to defeat him? Or will he emotionally pull his punches? The resolution remains ambiguous.

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 teaching the youths from his neighborhood: to reject prejudice and when you meet a paedophile, “Punch him in the groin”. It’s funny too when the boxer squirms at the ridiculous stunts the coach makes him do in the beginning: acting like the “monster from the East”.

Plot and Conclusion

Regarding the rift, the film shows this as being exacerbated by a tell-all book that Ingle is supposed to have authored (a plot point evidently modified from another source), and there is an interestingly imagined last discussion – however the emotional tribute that Hamed is supposed to have paid to his mentor after his death is only referenced in the end titles, and not shown on film. Some engaging content here, but the punches don’t land.

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