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The movie features a impressive ensemble, telling the real-life tale of Irish boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, who guided a brash Yorkshire youth from Middle Eastern migrant parents. Dubbed “Prince” Naseem Hamed, the youngster was coached to confront racist bullies and molded into a media-friendly titleholder in the late 90s. The trainer cultivated his flamboyant confidence and powerful punches, but after achieving wealth, Hamed betrayed his coach, excluding him and turning him into a mix of Falstaff and Danny Rose.

Performers and Roles

Pierce Brosnan plays the trainer; El-Masry embodies the role of the prince, and Stephens is the assertive London promoter Warren, who recognized the potential that Ingle had uncovered.

Film’s Shortcomings

However, the film honestly misses the Prince’s fancy footwork: the boxing sequences run smoothly, but the all-important story in between is consistently dull and monotonous. There is no subtlety or contrast in the depiction of Hamed himself, and El-Masry, an otherwise outstanding performer, isn’t given the opportunity to show any subtlety or much of what might make his character truly engaging – although he’s obviously been working out and looks very plausible in the ring.

Problems with Script and Sound

The drama is often lumbered with utilitarian, explanatory lines that tell you precisely what is going on and what we are supposed to be thinking (“Your journey began your boxing journey at age seven …”). It is the kind of script that streaming-TV producers call “second-screen”, making sure you know what’s going on while you’re viewing the film but also glancing at your device. Additionally, the background music is overpowering, sometimes nearly deafening, particularly in the scene where Hamed gets too excited visiting Warren in his luxurious residence.

Performances and Key Moments

While the leads do their very best, their dynamic never really comes to life, and the major fight scenes are frequently anticlimactically truncated. The most important scene is certainly when, provoked beyond endurance in the gym one day by the boxer as a delusional “elder”, the trainer actually offers to get in the ring and box him. Everyone in the room is shocked and uncomfortable. How exactly is this insanely unwise standoff going to play out? What will be the ending? Surely the Prince is going to defeat him? Alternatively will he emotionally hold back? It’s not clear.

Bright Spots and Comedy

That’s not to say that there are no some good moments. Brosnan elicits humor when Ingle tells a journalist what he’s teaching the youths from his neighborhood: to oppose prejudice and when you encounter a offender, “Hit them in the bollocks”. Amusing too when Hamed fidgets at the ridiculous stunts the coach makes him do in the early days: posing as the “beast from the East”.

Plot and Conclusion

Regarding the rift, the film depicts this as being worsened by a revealing book that the trainer is allegedly authored (a story element evidently adapted from prior material), and there is an intriguingly imagined final conversation – although the emotional tribute that the boxer is reportedly paid to Ingle after his passing is merely mentioned in the end titles, and not shown on film. There is interesting material here, but the punches fail to connect.

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