Better Man is a fascinating biopic about the life of singer Robbie Williams. It’s described as a satirical musical which tells the story of how Williams joined and left the boy band Take That and launched out on his own solo musical career. The quirky feature of the film is that it starts Williams but as a CGI chimpanzee.
That of course sounds a bit odd, but in reality it is a bold and brilliant move and the special effects are done so well that it gives an incredible poignancy to the film and indeed to Williams character. For me the ape makes him stand out as a cocky yet vulnerable person who doesn’t feel he fits in with everyone around him. It’s exactly what Williams and director Michael Gracey intended and it works oh so well.
The story begins when Williams is a young boy (or should we say chimp, played by Jonno Davies) who is struggling to find friends and is not doing well at school. His fame hungry father abandons his family and Robbie is raised by his mum and grandma. He gets a break by successfully auditioning for Take That but chafes at the restrictions and lack of creative control and his life starts to disintegrate due to his abuse of drugs and alcohol. Eventually dumped from Take That, he starts to clumsily reemerge as a solo artist and find success while still haunted by his own inner self-loathing.
Peppered throughout the film are musical numbers of Williams own song that are re-imagined to suit the tone and different moments in his life. They are brilliantly orchestrated and choreographed.
This is a brutally honest film and while it takes pot shots at a number of people including his old band mates, manager, and even Noel Gallagher from Oasis, the film doesn’t shy away from Williams own dark side – his battle with his own demons, his addiction and bad behaviour.
All up this feels like a cathartic bit of storytelling with Williams wanting to explain and apologise. It is innovative, clever, funny and filled with great music.
BETTER MAN
Starring: Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Alison Steadman
Directed by: Michael Gracey
Duration: 134 Minutes
Open in New Zealand – 26th December 2024