Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. We’ve heard this a million times before. Brendan Ingle was convinced that former British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem Hamed had it. Rowan Athale’s sports drama Giant scrapes the bottom of the barrel with a clichéd mess that can’t decide who this film is really about.
I’m not a boxing fan, but Prince Naseem was a cultural icon in his prime, loved by many not just within the sport. He could talk the talk and walk the walk. He had the swagger, floated like a butterfly and had the record to back it up (36-1). Naseem was the complete package, front-page news during the era of the lads’ mags. It was a shameless decade in which being front-page news wasn’t always a bad thing compared to today. He earned his stripes and the right to be called a boxing legend, yet Giant lacks the gut punch needed to tell the story a legend of any calibre deserves.
Giant takes us back to 1980s Sheffield. We meet the young Prince Naseem ‘Naz’ Hamed (Ghaith Saleh and later Ali Saleh), a cocky lad who feared no one, much to the concern of his parents. Raised in a working-class family, they worked various jobs, including running a corner shop. One of their regular customers is Irishman Brendan Ingle (Pierce Brosnan), a local celebrity of sorts. A former boxer turned trainer and mentor, he has helped many troubled youths become boxers. It’s this reputation that leads Naseem’s mother to approach Brendan, hoping he can help her sons fight back against racism.
At Brendan’s Wincobank gym – a gym that produced five champions – the Hamed boys learn not only the skills of the ring but also life lessons and discipline. After a montage of the boys going through their training, it becomes clear that Naseem is the one with the talent to go far. Brendan agrees to teach him the discipline and skillset required to become the best, even though Naz already believed he was. We quickly witness the racism and hostility present at amateur boxing nights, something that only fuels Naz further. Eventually, we move on to an older Naz (Amir El-Masry), whose ego has been inflated by stardom and money, with early signs that his relationship with his mentor is beginning to crack.
The question I asked earlier – who is this film really about? – derails Giant. One could argue that both Hamed and Ingle are giants. However, the film is sold as the rags-to-riches story of a future boxing champion, which isn’t entirely true. Brendan Ingle’s two sons, Dominic and John, were involved in the production. They rightly want the best outcome for their father, and it seems Brosnan received their blessing to portray him. This really needed to be a two-sided affair, yet Prince Naseem Hamed has stated he wasn’t involved. There is no denying that ego, money and questions over who deserved credit for his success got in the way. We see his brother Riath (Arian Nik) become more influential in his life, and eventually Riath and Allah receive the credit rather than Brendan. It leaves you wondering how much of the plot is fictional, as we barely scratch the surface when it comes to Hamed’s early life. Pierce Brosnan delivers a humble performance, although his Irish accent has already come under scrutiny, much like it did in MobLand.
Nothing bad can be said about Ali and Ghaith Saleh, who play Naz as a young boy. Both are full of beans, energy and confidence. El-Masry is equally solid, showcasing the swagger in the ring and a man who fears no one, but sadly he’s given very little to do. For a supposed biopic of Sheffield’s finest boxing champion, that’s criminal. Antoine Fuqua‘s recent Michael is a perfect example of missing pivotal parts of a biopic. We all know how great Michael Jackson’s music was, but you can’t cut corners and ignore the other parts of his life, whether the allegations were true or not.
Giant lacks the knockout punch needed to deliver a solid biographical sports drama. Prince Naseem has said he regretted the way he treated Brendan Ingle. Despite the strong performances from the main cast, this film lacks the drama, emotion and depth required to tell the full story. The dialogue is often laughable, awkward and embarrassing, making you wonder if Jake Paul wrote it.
★
Drama | True Brit Entertainment | Dir. Rowan Athale | Pierce Brosnan, Amir El-Masry, Toby Stephens, Arian Nik, Samir Arrian, Arian Nik | 15
