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This film features a talented ensemble, telling the true story of coach Brendan Ingle, who guided a cheeky Sheffield youth from Yemeni migrant family. Known as Naseem Hamed, the youngster was taught to stand up to racist bullies and molded into a media-friendly titleholder in the late 90s. Ingle cultivated his flamboyant confidence and powerful punches, but after becoming rich, the boxer turned against his coach, cutting him out and turning him into a blend of John Falstaff and Broadway Danny Rose.

Cast and Characters

Pierce Brosnan plays the trainer; Amir El-Masry embodies the role of Hamed, and Toby Stephens appears as the bullish London promoter Warren, who recognized the goldmine that Ingle had discovered.

Film’s Shortcomings

However, the movie honestly misses the fighter’s agility: the boxing sequences flow well, but the crucial story between them is consistently dull and monotonous. There is no subtlety or contrast in the depiction of Hamed himself, and El-Masry, an otherwise excellent talent, isn’t given the opportunity to display any depth or much of what might make his character truly engaging – even though he’s clearly been training and looks very plausible in the ring.

Problems with Script and Sound

The story is often lumbered with functional, expositional dialogue that inform you exactly what is happening and what we are supposed to be thinking (“Your journey began your boxing journey at age seven …”). This is the sort of script that digital producers call “double-screen”, ensuring you understand what’s unfolding while you’re viewing the movie but also glancing at your device. And, the background music is overbearing, at times nearly overwhelming, especially in the moment where the boxer gets too excited calling on the promoter in his palatial home.

Performances and Key Moments

Although the leads do their considerable best, their relationship never really comes to life, and the major boxing moments are frequently anticlimactically truncated. The most important scene is surely when, provoked past his limit in the gym one day by Hamed as a delusional “elder”, the trainer in fact proposes to step into the ring and fight him. All present in the gym is stunned and uneasy. In what way is this extremely risky confrontation going to unfold? How precisely the ending? Surely the champion is going to defeat him? Or will he sentimentally hold back? The resolution remains ambiguous.

Highlights and Humor

That’s not to say that there are no some nice jabs. Brosnan elicits humor when Ingle tells a reporter what he’s teaching the kids from his neighborhood: to reject prejudice and when you meet a paedophile, “Punch him in the groin”. It’s funny too when Hamed fidgets at the ridiculous stunts the coach makes him do in the early days: acting like the “monster from the East”.

Plot and Conclusion

Regarding the rift, the movie depicts this as being worsened by a tell-all book that Ingle is supposed to have authored (a story element clearly adapted from another source), and there is an interestingly conceived final conversation – however the heartfelt homage that Hamed is reportedly given to his mentor after his death is only referenced in the end titles, and not shown on screen. There is interesting material in this film, but the punches don’t land.

Giant was shown at the festival and is available in UK and Irish theaters from 9 January.