It took me some time to watch Better Man after it hit theaters because honestly I felt it was too much for me at the moment, there was so much hype around it that made me cringe and then my expectations would be too high and honestly I wasnt expecting much from another music biopic, specially one about Robbie Williams who I never really cared about growing up but this movie completly suprised me. The whole CGI monkey thing sounds ridiculous on paper, like some weird marketing gimmick that would ruin the entire experience but somehow it actually works and makes the story feel more real than most traditional biopics I have watched recently after all is one of those highly unlikely type of movie to succed. Michael Gracie who directed The Greatest Showman decided to take this massive creative risk, having Williams do the chimpanzee throughout the entire movie because thats how he sees himself, as this performing monkey dancing for everyone elses entertainment, yeah that sounds like a bit of twisted idea but lets not get dark here. The movie starts with young Robbie in working class Stoke on Trent, dealing with a father who abandons the family to chase his own failed dreams of stardom, leaving behind this conflicted message that you either make it big or your nobody, which messes with the kids head from day one. His relationship with his grandmother becomes the emotional center of the early scenes, shes this sweet supportive woman who believes in him no matter what and Alison Steadman just nails this role perfectly, you can feel the love between them. When Robbies dad Peter comes back into the picture after hearing about Take That success, it creates this painful dynamic where the kid is desperate for approval from someone who only shows up when theres something in it for him, Steve Pemberton plays the father as this selfish dreamer who never really grew up himself.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14260836/
- Platform: Paramount+
Rottentomatoes Rating
The Take That years get handled really well here, showing how five teenagers suddenly become this massive phenomenon without really understanding what hit them, Gary Barlow describe as the talented songwriter who gets most of the creative control and money while Robbie feels like an side wing even though he was the one with all the charisma and stage presence, the showman giving it all but not getting back as much from the group. From the idea that Robbie Williams is showing as the character he identified himself with you arlready know the movie is kindas dark and shows that same side from thast boy band life, all the gay clubs they performed at before finding their female audience, the pressure from management and how Robbie started using drugs and alcohol to cope with feeling like he didnt belong anywhere, I can only imagine how frustrating must be for as guy of his age at that time, because of this and other personal reasons they finally kick him out of the band, you can see how devastating it is for someone whose entire identity was built around being part of this group but also how it becomes the push he needs to prove everyone wrong about his talent, potentially and most specially how he can be better than the boy band, just by himself all alone as a solo guy. The CGI monkey works especially well during these emotional moments because it lets you see vulnerability that might feel too raw with a human actor, basically they could shape those emotions they way they wanted so not heavy acting was needed, when Robbie breaks down after leaving Take That, the ape face somehow makes it more universal and heartbreaking at the same time.
[Source](https://tinyurl.com/7fxbspck)
His solo career brings new success but also bigger problems, the movie shows how fame at that level is basically impossible to handle without serious support systems and Robbies addiction issues spiral completely out of control, it has to be a team effor trying to control a young talent so he doesnt go off rails, we talking millions into the pocket of someone who have never expirience such fame and money with a very dark background, parents and mentors is not enough. The relationship with Nicole Appleton from All Saints gets a great exploration at the same time showing how two people struggling with their own demons try to find love but ultimately cant save each other from themselves, especially when her management forces her to terminate their pregnancy which sends Robbie even deeper into drugs and self destruction. The way they handle his suicide attempts feels no sugar coat but also without being exploitative, using that underwater sequence where hes literally drowning while fans take pictures instead of helping him, its a perfect metaphor for how isolating fame can be even when your surrounded by people. There is this aspect of the movie that I actually enjoy and they kinda put down a bit the hole musical thing, although it was inevitable, it was the recovery journey of Robbie that becomes about learning to forgive himself and others, particularly his father who shows up again once Robbie becomes successful as a solo artist, leading to this complicated relationship where love and resentment get all tangled up together and thats just natural human nature. The movie ends with this beautiful moment where Robbie brings his dad on stage to sing My Way together, finally giving the old man the spotlight he always wanted while also showing that Robbies grown enough to share his success instead of hoarding it thats the real reward.
[Source](https://tinyurl.com/7fxbspck)
[Source](https://tinyurl.com/7fxbspck)
What really makes this movie special is how creative the musical numbers are and most of the time fkn hilarious at how convinient they might be like the time they singing "Rock Dj" and you got this five old lady show up in electic scooters, the constant wardrobe changes, they use these elaborate sequences to show different periods of Robbies life, Rock DJ scene in Regent Street that took forever to film but looks absolutely incredible, with hundreds of dancers and this amazing one shot feel that makes you forget your watching a biopic, Im not a musical guy but damn it felt just like a music video back in the day from MTv. The Angels was a bit different when you understand its about his relationship with his grandma and dealing with grief, suddenly this song everyone knows becomes something way more personal and meaningful. The movie also does this thing where Robbies inner demons literally appear as other versions of himself throughout the concerts, showing how self doubt and negative self talk can take over your brain even when thousands of people are screaming your name. The production design is fantastic too, every era feels very realistic to their own time from the 90s boy band costumes to the early 2000s solo artist looks, and the monkey CGI although you know it is and it does look fake I dont know why for some reason it doesnt feel distracting, its probably because before hand you know its just a metaphor and not that they trying to bring a monkey to life, it actually enhances the emotional side of every scene, they do capture Williams mannerisms and energy so perfectly that you forget theres a real person under all that digital fur.
Better Man succeeds where most music biopics fail, and not just musicals but over all biocpics such a hard type of movie to pull of considering the history of the character but because they go through the music collection that Robbie has it identify with every X amount of years that go by in between, also because it focuses on the human story instead of just hitting all the greatest hits, also the familiar songsare used to tell us something deeper about Williams as a person rather than just recreating concert footage. The movie is brutally honest about addiction, family dysfunction and the price of fame without ever feeling like its lecturing you or trying to make excuses for bad behavior. Robbie Williams involvement in the project clearly helped because this feels like his actual story rather than some sanitized Hollywood version, all the mess and contradictions are still there. The supporting cast does excellent work especially the women in Robbies life who all bring different energy to their roles, from his supportive mother to his complicated romantic relationships to his beloved grandmother who anchors his emotional world. For a biopic is not so short movie at all with 2 hours and 15 minutes it never feels too long because every scene serves the larger story, even the quieter moments between the big musical numbers help build this complete picture of someone struggling to figure out who he is underneath all the fame and expectation. This is definitely one of the better music biopics in recent years, it takes real risks with the monkey concept and somehow makes it work, creating something that feels both familiar and completely original at the same time, when was the last time in a biopic the main character gets describe either through another person or in this case a monkey, totally recomend it even if your not a Robbie Williams fan or a musical fan, you going to have a lot of fun and laugh.
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