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This film features a impressive ensemble, depicting the true tale of Irish boxing trainer Ingle, who mentored a cheeky Sheffield youth from Yemeni immigrant family. Known as “Prince” Naseem Hamed, the fighter was taught to confront prejudice and transformed into a celebrity titleholder in the late 90s. The trainer cultivated his flamboyant confidence and lethal fists, but after becoming rich, Hamed betrayed his coach, cutting him out and making him a blend of Falstaff and Danny Rose.

Cast and Characters

Brosnan portrays the trainer; Amir El-Masry embodies the part of the prince, and Toby Stephens appears as the assertive London promoter Warren, who saw the potential that the coach had uncovered.

Film’s Shortcomings

Yet, the film honestly lacks the Prince’s agility: the boxing sequences flow well, but the crucial drama between them is repeatedly flat and monotonous. There is no nuance or contrast in the portrayal of Hamed himself, and El-Masry, an otherwise outstanding performer, isn’t given the opportunity to display any depth or much of what might make his role truly engaging – although he’s obviously been working out and looks very plausible in the ring.

Problems with Script and Sound

The drama is repeatedly burdened by functional, expositional lines that inform you precisely what is going on and what we are meant to feel (“You started your career at age seven …”). It 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 checking your phone. Additionally, the background music is overpowering, sometimes nearly overwhelming, particularly in the scene where Hamed gets too excited calling on the promoter in his luxurious home.

Performances and Key Moments

While El-Masry and Brosnan do their very utmost, their relationship doesn’t quite ignites, and the major boxing moments are often disappointingly truncated. The most important scene is surely when, goaded beyond endurance in the training facility one day by the boxer as a delusional “old man”, the trainer actually proposes to step into the ring and box him. All present in the gym is shocked and uncomfortable. In what way is this extremely unwise standoff going to unfold? What will be the ending? Surely the Prince is going to kill him? Alternatively will he emotionally pull his punches? It’s not clear.

Highlights and Humor

This isn’t to imply that there are no some good moments. Brosnan elicits humor when Ingle informs a journalist what he’s teaching the kids from his local community: to reject prejudice and when you meet a offender, “Hit them in the bollocks”. It’s funny too when the boxer fidgets at the ridiculous antics Ingle makes him do in the beginning: posing as the “beast from the East”.

Storyline and Final Thoughts

As for the rift, the movie shows this as being exacerbated by a tell-all publication that Ingle is allegedly written (a plot point evidently modified from another source), and there is an interestingly imagined last discussion – although the emotional tribute that the boxer is supposed to have given to Ingle after his death is merely mentioned in the end titles, and not shown on film. There is interesting material in this film, but the punches fail to connect.

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