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This film boasts a talented ensemble, depicting the true story of Irish boxing trainer Ingle, who mentored a brash Sheffield youth from Yemeni immigrant parents. Dubbed “Prince” Naseem Hamed, the fighter was taught to confront prejudice and molded into a media-friendly titleholder in the late 90s. The trainer nurtured his flamboyant confidence and powerful punches, but after achieving wealth, the boxer betrayed his mentor, cutting him out and making him a blend of John Falstaff and Danny Rose.

Performers and Roles

Brosnan plays the trainer; Amir El-Masry takes on the part of the prince, and Toby Stephens appears as the bullish promoter Frank Warren, who saw the goldmine that Ingle had discovered.

Film’s Shortcomings

Yet, the film frankly lacks the fighter’s agility: the fight scenes flow well, but the crucial story between them is consistently flat and one-note. There is no nuance or light and shade in the depiction of the protagonist himself, and the actor, an otherwise outstanding performer, isn’t given the opportunity to show any depth or much of what might make his role really interesting – although he’s clearly been training and appears convincing in the boxing arena.

Problems with Script and Sound

The story is often lumbered with functional, expositional lines that tell you exactly what is happening and what we are meant to feel (“Your journey began your boxing journey at seven years old …”). It is the sort of script that streaming-TV producers call “double-screen”, making sure you understand what’s unfolding while you’re watching the movie but also glancing at your device. And, the background music is overbearing, sometimes almost deafening, especially in the scene where Hamed gets overexcited visiting the promoter in his luxurious residence.

Performances and Key Moments

Although the leads do their considerable best, their relationship doesn’t quite comes to life, and the major boxing moments are often disappointingly cut short. The most important moment is surely when, goaded beyond endurance in the gym one day by Hamed as a delusional “old man”, the trainer actually offers to step into the ring and fight him. Everyone in the gym is shocked and uneasy. How exactly is this insanely unwise confrontation going to play out? How precisely the ending? Certainly the Prince is going to defeat him? Alternatively will he emotionally pull his punches? It’s not clear.

Bright Spots and Comedy

That’s not to say that there are no some good moments. Brosnan gets laughs when Ingle tells a journalist what he’s teaching the youths from his local community: to reject prejudice and when you meet a paedophile, “Punch him in the groin”. Amusing too when the boxer fidgets at the silly antics the coach makes him do in the early days: acting like the “beast from the Middle East”.

Plot and Conclusion

As for the rift, the movie depicts this as being exacerbated by a revealing publication that Ingle is supposed to have written (a plot point evidently adapted from another source), and there is an interestingly conceived final conversation – however the heartfelt homage that the boxer is reportedly paid to Ingle after his death is merely mentioned in the closing credits, and not shown on screen. Some interesting material here, but the punches fail to connect.

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