The Giant Film Analysis: Prince Naseem Biopic Starring Brosnan Lacks the Punch
The movie boasts a talented cast, telling the true tale of Irish boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, who mentored a cheeky Sheffield teenager from Yemeni migrant family. Known as âPrinceâ Naseem Hamed, the youngster was coached to stand up to racist bullies and molded into a media-friendly titleholder in the 1990s. Ingle nurtured his showboating arrogance and powerful punches, but after achieving wealth, the boxer turned against his coach, cutting him out and turning him into a mix of John Falstaff and Broadway Danny Rose.
Cast and Characters
Brosnan portrays the trainer; Amir El-Masry takes on the part of the prince, and Toby Stephens appears as the assertive promoter Frank Warren, who recognized the potential that the coach had uncovered.
Where the Movie Falls Short
Yet, the movie frankly lacks the fighterâs fancy footwork: the fight scenes run smoothly, but the all-important story in between is repeatedly flat and one-note. It lacks nuance or contrast in the portrayal of the protagonist himself, and the actor, an otherwise excellent talent, isnât given the chance to show any subtlety or much of what might make his role truly engaging â although heâs obviously been working out and appears convincing in the boxing arena.
Problems with Script and Sound
The drama is often burdened by utilitarian, expositional dialogue that tell you precisely what is happening and what we are meant to feel (âYou started your career at age seven âŠâ). This is the sort of dialogue that streaming-TV producers call âdouble-screenâ, making sure you understand whatâs unfolding while youâre watching the movie but also checking your phone. Additionally, the background music is overpowering, sometimes almost deafening, especially in the moment where the boxer gets overexcited calling on the promoter in his luxurious residence.
Performances and Key Moments
Although the leads do their very utmost, their dynamic doesnât quite comes to life, and the big set-piece boxing moments are often disappointingly truncated. A key scene is surely when, provoked past his limit in the training facility one day by Hamed as a delusional âold manâ, the trainer actually offers to step into the ring and box him. Everyone in the gym is shocked and uncomfortable. In what way is this insanely unwise standoff going to unfold? What will be the outcome? Surely the Prince is going to defeat him? Or will he emotionally pull his punches? The resolution remains ambiguous.
Highlights and Humor
Thatâs not to say that there arenât some nice jabs. Brosnan elicits humor when his character informs a reporter what heâs teaching the kids from his local community: to reject prejudice and when you meet a offender, âPunch him in the bollocksâ. Itâs funny too when the boxer squirms at the silly stunts the coach makes him do in the beginning: posing as the âbeast from the Eastâ.
Storyline and Final Thoughts
Regarding the rift, the movie shows this as being exacerbated by a revealing publication that Ingle is supposed to have written (a story element evidently adapted from prior material), and there is an interestingly conceived final conversation â although the heartfelt homage that the boxer is reportedly paid to Ingle after his death is only mentioned in the closing credits, and not dramatised on screen. There is interesting material in this film, but the blows donât land.
Giant was shown at the festival and is in British and Irish cinemas from 9 January.
