Giant, 2025.
Written and Directed by Rowan Athale.
Starring Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan, Ali Saleh, Ghaith Saleh, Katherine Dow Blyton, Olivia Barrowclough, Elika Ashoori, Austin Haynes, Rocco Haynes, Oliver Joseph Brooke, Arian Nik, Big Jake, Kelvin Ade, and Mehdi Mangoli.
SYNOPSIS:
Inspired by the real-life story of Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed, a British-Yemeni boxer, and his journey from humble beginnings to becoming a world champion and his training under Brendan Ingle who played a crucial role in his success.
Writer-director Rowan Athale’s Giant brings to life the true story of Sheffield-born world champion boxer Prince Naseem ‘Naz’ Hamed, who was discovered by Irish trainer Brendan Ingle in the 80s. Naz was a natural, but his Yemeni heritage exposed him to a great deal of abuse in the ring. Brendan encouraged Naz to stand up for himself, eventually creating the arrogant persona that, when paired with his obvious talent, found him mainstream success and, ultimately, several world titles.
As an adult, Naz eventually morphs into his boxing persona fully, becoming the same arrogant man outside the ring. With untold wealth and success at his disposal, he begins to question whether he really needs Brendan at all. He cuts him out of his career and the relationship sours.
While Giant is mostly a fairly standard boxing flick, it’s really a film about the rise and fall of a friendship. Amir El-Masry, who previously shone in 2020’s Limbo, is outstanding as Naz, embodying his famed charisma and charm superbly, while Pierce Brosnan brings just the right balance of sincerity and humanity to Brendan. The two leads share several memorable clashes, and it’s hard not to feel for Ingle who, after devoting years of his life to Naz and treating him like his own son, finds himself with little to show for his efforts.
It’s worth noting that Naz is a very difficult person to spend 2 hours watching. His arrogant showboating is clearly a huge part of who he is, but it doesn’t take long for it to wear thin on the viewer, his character being perhaps a little oversimplified. The film doesn’t seem too interested in taking his point-of-view all that seriously. And beyond merely pointing out that Brendan might’ve actually created this monster by encouraging him when he was a boy, it never really believes it. It’s a black-and-white, hero vs. villain tale, and it might’ve been more interesting with a little more balance.
The film also stumbles slightly in its third act, reaching several natural conclusions and ultimately taking far too long to make its point. The climactic final conversation that it builds to is excellent, perhaps the best moment of the whole film, ending in a narrative gut-punch that’s executed in intelligent fashion, but it drags its heels on its way there and runs the risk of losing its audience beforehand.
There’s lots to like about Giant. It’s a flawed film, undoubtedly, but these stories are hits with moviegoers for a reason. Who doesn’t love a rags-to-riches story of an underdog rising to the very top with the help of friends, family and his own dogged determination? It’s a surefire crowd-pleaser, with engaging lead performances and genuinely memorable boxing scenes, that’s bound to be a hit with audiences when they stumble upon it on streaming next year. It just isn’t interesting enough to rise above the generic and become a true British mainstay, and one can’t help but feel like there was a missed opportunity to create something a little more special.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Dan Barnes
