When it comes to music, my personal tastes tend to fall on the heavier side of the spectrum and I try to steer clear of modern-day pop music. So, it may come as a surprise that I have always had a bit of a soft spot for Robbie Williams.
This interest began when first I heard the lyrics of ‘Never Forget’ by Take That and felt an affinity to them. The connection was further expanded off the back of Robbie Williams’ own track ‘Come Undone’. I truly connected with the song as I battled with my own addictions and mental health issues. To say that ‘Come Undone’, and many other tracks off his fifth studio album ‘Escapology’, have become anthems for when I am at my lowest, is an understatement.
I actually was nervous to watch Robbie Williams’ new film, Better Man. In the past, I’ve found that most musical biopics are held back, either by the artist themselves or the family of the artist (if they are deceased), as they want the film to turn out in a positive light. As a result, the darker side or the more controversial moments in an artist’s life are either glossed over, or completely ignored as if they never occurred. I wondered, would Williams do the same, despite the fact that ‘Escapology’ basically announced all his past sins to the world?
Better Man begins with a young monkey (yes, you read that correctly) named Robbie Williams, watching a Frank Sinatra television special with his family. His father (Steve Pemberton) is belting out the tracks and young Robbie (then played by Carter J. Murphy and Asmara Feik) tries to emulate him with disastrous results. That calamity results with his father telling him, “You either have it or you don’t”.
That statement becomes Robbie’s (now played by Jonno Davies and voiced by Robbie Williams) mantra, and with the support from his grandmother (Alison Steadman), the teenage ape decides to prove to the world that he indeed “has it”.
From there, Better Man chronicles Williams’ early career with Take That under the management of Nigel Martin Smith (Damon Herriman), his rivalry with band mate Gary Barlow (Jake Simmance), and his relationship with Nicole Appleton (Raechelle Banno) as his solo career starts to take off.
To its credit, the film doesn’t shy away from the darker sides of Williams’ life. Instead, it confronts the issues head on, noting the consequences of his drug and alcohol addictions have caused in both his professional and personal life.
Director Michael Gracey does all that he can to separate Better Man from the myriad of ordinary musical biopics already out there. The idea of portraying Robbie and his vices as various apes is a stroke of genius, especially when you consider that it ties in well with the character that Williams himself created, with the lyrics of his fan favourite track ‘Me And My Monkey’.
I can fully understand why some cinema goers are hesitant about seeing Williams being portrayed by a CGI monkey but honestly, it is something that you quickly forget about. Having seen other creative biopics like Pharrell Williams’ where he is portrayed as a Lego piece in the animated Piece By Piece, it admittedly took me awhile to get used to the idea seeing Robbie Williams as a monkey, but it just seemed to work from the start. In a sense, it captures his cheeky and creative persona to a tee. When it’s time for Williams to literally battle his ape vices, the resulting monkey battle is remarkably shot and becomes one of the highlights of Better Man.
It’s moments like these where director Michael Gracey and cinematographer Erik Wilson’s creativity come to the fore. From manic concert performances where management are trying to revive an over-dosed Williams, through to drug and hate-fuelled car trips, imagination runs wild and the result is a pure and beautiful senses overload. Some may say it’s over the top, but I prefer to view various segments of the film as stunning video clips that truly capture the creativity and magic that Williams has shown the world throughout his rollercoaster career.
What stood out the most with Better Man though, is the honesty of the inner thought in its screenplay. This is brought to life brilliantly by Robbie Williams himself through a voiceover, providing a sense of sense of validity and making moments, particularly when Williams declares that his solo career only started “To prove his was better than Gary Barlow’s” even more haunting.
When you consider that nearly every scene of this movie features a CGI monkey, it makes the acting performances from Steve Pemberton and Damon Herrimon even more powerful. Credit must also be paid to Raechelle Banno and Alison Steadman whose performances are often used to ground the film from the madness going on around them.
Arguably one of 2024’s best films, Better Man’s unique and enchanting creativity, plus the brave decision to tackle deep issues like mental health, addiction and parental abandonment, makes it a rare cinematic gem. Better Man is filled with raw honestly and also features a kickass soundtrack, depicting most of Williams’ greatest hits.
Better Man is in cinemas this Boxing Day.