British pop superstar Robbie Williams gets a raw, dazzling, long but exceedingly clever musical biopic in Better Man, which sees him portrayed as a CGI, motion-captured chimpanzee from boyhood through tumultuous stardom. The reason why becomes obvious as the narrative progresses. Director/co-writer Michael Gracey infuses the film with a bold creative vision that adds a refreshing new take on a known commodity. Stories of rags-to-riches celebrities struggling with addiction and depression are standard Hollywood fodder. Better Man addresses those themes while Williams’ narrates the painful truth behind glitz and glamour. Fame is a seductive narcotic that fuels our worst impulses. A dream come true can easily become a nightmare.
We’re introduced to “Robert” (Carter J. Murphy) as a brash young chimp in the poverty-stricken town of Stoke-on-Trent. He’s awful at school and sports but loves being the center of attention. He inherits the need for a spotlight from his wannabe performer father. Peter (Steve Pemberton) and Robert sing Frank Sinatra standards in front of their old TV with Mom (Kate Mulvany) and his grandmother, the beloved Nan (Alison Steadman), cheering them on. Robert relishes applause but hides a gnawing secret. He sucks, has no talent, and is a total fraud. That’s what Robert really thinks of himself.
Monkeying Around to Glory
The happy days are unfortunately short-lived. 15-year-old Robert (Asmara Feik) wastes away at school until an open casting call for a boy band offers the chance of a lifetime. Band manager Nigel Martin-Smith (Damon Herriman) is holding auditions for his latest endeavor. Robert looks on as others sing, dance, and twirl their teenage hearts out. How can a complete hack and loser compete? By being the most brash and owning the room with a middle finger to everyone else. Nigel takes notice of the cocky young man, but “Robert” simply won’t do.
Better Man will be slurped up like water in the desert by the legions of Take That fans who worshiped the ’90s icons. Think a British version of NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, for the boy band uninitiated. Gracey (The Greatest Showman) does a banner job of exploring the band’s dynamics and how that reinforced Robbie’s negative self-worth. Gary Barlow (Jake Simmance) was lauded as the group’s leader and songwriter. Williams’ bad boy image made teenage girls swoon, but he wasn’t happy being relegated to basically a backup dancer and singing on harmonies. Scenes of Nigel putting Robbie in his place are soul-crushing.
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The Dark Side of Drugs & Dance
Better Man’s second act takes parallel paths to astonishing fame and its commensurate dark side. Robbie pulls no punches explaining to the audience his struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts. Drugs, booze, and anti-depressants became the salve to treat his mental wounds. Robbie also discusses how he was still broke and living with his mother despite playing to sold-out venues. Barlow and Martin-Smith made all the money. He was just a singing and dancing show chimp. The harsh realities of exploitation collide with cold financial truth. It’s both shocking and hilarious to learn what Robbie was paid in the first 18 months of Take That’s meteoric rise.
Jonno Davies portrays the adult Robbie for the majority of the film. He dances up a storm in incredibly choreographed set pieces, but he and the other actors who play Robbie won’t get any recognition for their parts behind their primate artifice. Davies’ rides the fame roller coaster with surprising nuance given the CGI nature of his role. Robbie’s descent into a cocaine-fueled pill-popper is handled with unflinching honesty. There’s nothing humorous about a chimp passing out in vomit. His destructive tendencies reach a point of no return that forces a dramatic change of circumstances.
A Music Biopic with Flawless Visual Effects
Robbie’s career as a chart-topping solo artist engrosses like a tawdry soap opera. Gracey pulls the curtains back to reveal all the salacious dirt between Robbie, his girlfriend Nicole Appleton (Raechelle Banno), a member of the girl group All Saints, and Oasis’ lead singer, Liam Gallagher (Leo Harvey-Elledge). Get your popcorn ready folks. This is sensational stuff that quickly develops into frank and adult matters. Gracey is sublime at dealing with a highly personal decision that became an earthquake in the British tabloids at the time. There’s no sugarcoating here and that’s admirable. Robbie speaks his own truth with conviction.
Better Man will blow audiences out of their chairs with brilliant song and dance numbers. Choreographer Ashley Wallen, who previously worked with Gracey on The Greatest Showman, cinematographer Erik A. Wilson (of the Paddington franchise), and the visual effects team at Weta are the film’s unsung heroes. Better Man gives Wicked a run for the money with applause-worthy showstoppers. A scene with Robbie and Nicole singing and dancing together on a yacht is absolutely mesmerizing. Raise your expectations. The musical aspects are stunning in every regard.
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‘Better Man’ Runs Long Without Compromising
You don’t have to be a Robbie Williams fan to appreciate the film’s artistry, performances, and handling of difficult subjects. The 135-minute runtime is admittedly too long, but the decision not to have Williams appear as himself, or even as a human, was pure genius. The CGI chimp is riveting from the start. Williams’ acknowledgment of how he’s perceived makes the bonkers portrayal much more impactful. It’s cheeky AF for sure, but an accurate reflection of his image.
Better Man is a production of Sina Studios, Facing East Entertainment, Rocket Science, and Lost Bandits et al. It will have a limited theatrical release on December 25th from Paramount Pictures, followed by national distribution on January 17th.
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