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This film boasts a talented cast, telling the true story of Irish boxing trainer Ingle, who guided a cheeky Yorkshire youth from Middle Eastern immigrant parents. Dubbed “Prince” Naseem Hamed, the youngster was taught to stand up to racist bullies and transformed into a celebrity world champion in the late 90s. The trainer nurtured his showboating confidence and lethal fists, but after achieving wealth, Hamed betrayed his mentor, cutting him out and making him a mix of Falstaff and Broadway Danny Rose.

Performers and Roles

Pierce Brosnan plays Ingle; Amir El-Masry takes on the part of Hamed, and Toby Stephens is the assertive promoter Warren, who recognized the goldmine that the coach had uncovered.

Where the Movie Falls Short

Yet, the movie frankly misses the Prince’s agility: the boxing sequences run smoothly, but the crucial story in between is repeatedly dull and one-note. There is no subtlety or contrast in the portrayal of the protagonist himself, and the actor, an otherwise outstanding performer, doesn’t get the chance to display any depth or much of what might make his character really interesting – even though he’s clearly been training and looks very plausible in the boxing arena.

Problems with Script and Sound

The story is often burdened by utilitarian, explanatory lines that inform you precisely what is going on and what we are meant to feel (“Your journey began your career at seven years old …”). It is the kind of dialogue that digital executives call “double-screen”, ensuring you understand what’s unfolding while you’re viewing the movie but also checking your phone. And, the score is overbearing, sometimes nearly deafening, especially in the moment where Hamed gets overexcited calling on the promoter in his palatial residence.

Acting and Pivotal Scenes

Although the leads do their considerable utmost, their dynamic never really ignites, and the major fight scenes are often anticlimactically truncated. A key scene is surely when, provoked beyond endurance in the gym one day by Hamed as a misguided “elder”, Ingle in fact proposes to get in the ring and box him. Everyone in the room is stunned and uncomfortable. How exactly is this extremely risky standoff going to play out? How precisely the outcome? Certainly the Prince is going to defeat him? Or will he sentimentally hold back? It’s not clear.

Bright Spots and Comedy

That’s not to say that there are no some good moments. The actor elicits humor when his character informs a reporter what he’s teaching the kids from his local community: to oppose prejudice and when you meet a paedophile, “Hit them in the groin”. It’s funny too when Hamed squirms at the ridiculous antics the coach makes him do in the beginning: posing as the “monster from the East”.

Plot and Conclusion

Regarding the rift, the film depicts this as being exacerbated by a tell-all book that Ingle is supposed to have written (a story element clearly adapted from prior material), and there is an interestingly conceived final conversation – although the heartfelt homage that the boxer is supposed to have paid to his mentor after his death is only mentioned in the end titles, and not shown on screen. Some engaging content here, but the blows don’t land.

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