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The movie boasts a talented ensemble, telling the real-life tale of Irish boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, who guided a brash Yorkshire youth from Middle Eastern immigrant family. Dubbed “Prince” Naseem Hamed, the youngster was taught to stand up to racist bullies and transformed into a celebrity world champion in the 1990s. The trainer cultivated his flamboyant arrogance and powerful punches, but after achieving wealth, the boxer betrayed his mentor, excluding him and turning him into a blend of Falstaff and Danny Rose.

Cast and Characters

Brosnan portrays Ingle; El-Masry takes on the part of Hamed, and Toby Stephens is the bullish promoter Frank Warren, who recognized the potential that the coach had discovered.

Where the Movie Falls Short

However, the movie honestly lacks the Prince’s fancy footwork: the boxing sequences flow well, but the all-important story between them is repeatedly dull and monotonous. There is no nuance or contrast in the depiction of Hamed himself, and the actor, an otherwise outstanding performer, isn’t given the opportunity to display any depth or much of what might make his character really interesting – although he’s obviously been working out and looks very plausible in the ring.

Dialogue and Music Issues

The story is repeatedly lumbered with utilitarian, explanatory dialogue 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 digital executives call “double-screen”, making sure you understand what’s going on while you’re watching the film but also glancing at your device. Additionally, the background music is overpowering, at times nearly overwhelming, especially in the scene where the boxer gets too excited visiting the promoter in his luxurious home.

Acting and Pivotal Scenes

Although the leads do their very best, their dynamic doesn’t quite comes to life, and the big set-piece boxing moments are often disappointingly truncated. A key moment is surely when, goaded past his limit in the gym one day by Hamed as a misguided “elder”, Ingle actually proposes to get in the ring and fight him. All present in the gym is shocked and uneasy. In what way is this extremely risky standoff going to play out? What will be the outcome? Surely the champion is going to defeat him? Or will he emotionally hold back? The resolution remains ambiguous.

Highlights and Humor

This isn’t to imply that there aren’t some good moments. Brosnan elicits humor when his character tells a reporter what he’s teaching the youths from his neighborhood: to reject prejudice and when you encounter a paedophile, “Punch him in the bollocks”. It’s funny too when Hamed squirms at the silly antics Ingle makes him do in the early days: acting like the “beast from the Middle East”.

Plot and Conclusion

Regarding the rift, the movie shows this as being exacerbated by a revealing publication that the trainer is supposed to have authored (a story element evidently adapted from prior material), and there is an interestingly conceived last discussion – however the emotional tribute that the boxer is supposed to have paid to his mentor after his passing is only mentioned in the closing credits, and not shown on screen. There is engaging content here, but the blows don’t land.

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