Middling ‘Giant’ falls short of a knockout

      If the boxing biopic, “Giant,” lacks punch, it’s through no fault of Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Mesry, both knockouts in their portrayals of legendary trainer Brendan Ingle and feather-weight hall of famer Naseem “Naz” Hamed, aka “The Prince.”  No, the onus rests with a flat, cliched script by director Rowan Athale that fails to delve deep enough into a fraught relationship that transcended age, background and cultures. Well, it did for as long as it lasted, which was from roughly 1981 to 1998.

     The film ever so slightly blames their eventual fissure on the cocky, preening Naz. A British-born Muslim of Yemeni heritage, he credited Allah more than Ingle for his ascension from an ostracized child of working-class Sheffield to king of the world. A belief echoed by his even more “villainous” older brother and manager, Riath Hamed (Arian Nik), who convinced his diminutive sibling that Ingle was nothing more than a leech, vicariously fulfilling his failed pugilistic dreams through Naz while skimming 25 percent of the champ’s earnings. It’s worth noting that, with Ingle’s sons, Dominic and John, serving as consultants, the bias toward their dad is hardly surprising.

    Through this subtle finger-pointing, Athale slightly undermines his film’s central theme of combating bigotry and racism through the contributions of two British outsiders, the Irish Ingle and the Arab Naz, at a time when Britons were overcome with fear over losing their way of life to immigrants and minorities. It reminded me a bit of the ugly uppity-Black stereotype that regretably slips into American films, depicting Naz’s untraditional ring antics and Ali-style brashness as an affront to “white authority.”

     Perhaps I’m reading too much into a movie that, in all other respects, is an average, run-of-the-mill devotee of the “Rocky” template in which an underdog fighter and unsung trainer boyantly defy the odds to stick it to the establishment. Would you expect anything less with Rocky Balboa himself, Sylvester Stallone, signed on as an executive producer?

     Yet, for a long while, I was intrigued by the warmth and compassion a hammy Brosnan lends Ingle, the kindly, bespectacled old man who unselfishly took a 7-year-old Naz under his wing, teaching the boy how to vanguish his white-trash classmates through fisticuffs. Even more, Ingle’s unbridled encouragement for the lad to be loud, be proud, and most of all, to be himself. It verges on creating an egotistical monster, but the results soon begin to speak for themselves thanks to Naz’s devastating left hook.

    El-Mesry is excellent at shadowing Naz’s signature taunts aimed at not just riling his opponents but humiliating them, both verbally and physically, as he elusively bobs and weaves across the ring in keeping with Ali’s philosophy of “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” And always with a wide, mocking grin. It’s an impressive display of agility and acting prowess.

      El-Mesry is even better out of the ring, allowing Naz’s deep insecurities to shine through even when he’s brandishing his trademark braggadocio. Same for brothers Ghaith and Ali Saleh, perfection as Naz at ages 7 and 12, respectively. Both are delightful spitfires in eliciting the unchecked confidence Ingle instilled in Naz, the youngest of seven kids raised in a single-parent home in which their mom was regularly fending off poverty and marauding skinheads.

      These early scenes in which Ingle and the initially leery Naz coalesce are among the film’s best. And you wish Athale would invoke similar detail once fame and success begin to drive a wedge between them. Or does it? There are times when you’re not sure, as one minute an ungrateful Naz is dissing his mentor with utmost disdain and the next, lovingly embracing him. 

    It’s smart that Athale focuses on their father-son-like kinship, but it’s largely skin-deep and without context. You also crave more information about their home lives, such as how Ingle’s boys felt about their dad seemingly spending more time with Naz, his surrogate son, than with them.

    It’s the same for their spouses, although Ingle’s sainted bride, Alma (Katherine Dow Blyton), is fleshed out far more than Naz’s better half, Eleasha (Isabelle Bonfrer), who barely rates a line of dialogue. If only they warranted as much attention as the ubiquitous Adidas signage on just about everything from the walls to between the ropes. I suspect Adidas ponied up a bundle for all that shameless product placement.

    As for the boxing action, DP Larry Smith’s camerawork is quite good. Not to the level of “Raging Bull,” but what we see is convincing, even a wee bit exciting. Overall, though, “Giant” is much less than the title implies. No doubt it holds your interest, more so if you’re a Naz fan. But what’s here feels more like a missed opportunity. To put it in boxing terms, it goes the distance but frustratingly culminates in a split decision.

Movie review

Giant

Rated: Not rated

Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Amir El-Mesry, Toby Stephens, Katherine Dow Blyton and Arian Nik

Director: Rowan Athale

Writer: Rowan Athale

Runtime: 110 minutes

Where: In theaters May 22 (limited)

Grade: C