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The movie boasts a impressive ensemble, telling the real-life tale of coach Ingle, who guided a cheeky Yorkshire youth from Middle Eastern migrant family. Known as Naseem Hamed, the fighter was coached to confront racist bullies and transformed into a media-friendly titleholder in the late 90s. Ingle nurtured his flamboyant arrogance and lethal fists, but after achieving wealth, Hamed betrayed his mentor, excluding him and making him a mix of John Falstaff and Broadway Danny Rose.

Cast and Characters

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

Where the Movie Falls Short

Yet, the film frankly lacks the fighter’s agility: the boxing sequences run smoothly, but the crucial story between them is consistently flat and one-note. There is no nuance or light and shade in the portrayal of the protagonist himself, and El-Masry, an otherwise outstanding performer, doesn’t get the chance to show any depth or much of what might make his role really interesting – even though he’s clearly been training and appears convincing in the ring.

Problems with Script and Sound

The drama is often lumbered with utilitarian, expositional dialogue that tell you precisely what is happening and what we are supposed to be thinking (“Your journey began your career at seven years old …”). This is the kind of script that digital producers call “double-screen”, ensuring you know what’s unfolding while you’re watching the movie but also glancing at your device. And, the background music is overbearing, at times nearly deafening, especially in the scene where Hamed gets overexcited calling on Warren in his palatial residence.

Performances and Key Moments

Although the leads do their considerable utmost, their dynamic never really ignites, and the major boxing moments are frequently disappointingly cut short. The most important scene is certainly when, goaded beyond endurance in the gym one day by the boxer as a misguided “old man”, Ingle in fact proposes to get in the ring and box him. All present in the room is stunned and uneasy. In what way is this insanely risky confrontation going to unfold? What will be the outcome? Certainly the champion is going to kill him? Alternatively will he emotionally hold back? It’s not clear.

Bright Spots and Comedy

This isn’t to imply that there are no some nice jabs. Brosnan gets laughs when his character informs a reporter what he’s teaching the kids from his neighborhood: to reject prejudice and when you encounter a offender, “Hit them in the bollocks”. Amusing too when Hamed fidgets at the silly stunts the coach makes him do in the beginning: posing as the “beast from the East”.

Storyline and Final Thoughts

As for the rift, the film depicts this as being worsened by a revealing publication that the trainer is supposed to have authored (a plot point clearly modified from another source), and there is an intriguingly conceived last discussion – however the heartfelt homage that the boxer is supposed to have given to Ingle after his death is only referenced in the closing credits, and not dramatised on film. There is engaging content in this film, but the punches fail to connect.

The film screened at the London film festival and is in British and Irish theaters from 9 January.