Robbie Williams brings us his life story in a way that only Robbie Williams can – with heart, swagger and showmanship. Thankfully, he’s decided to do something a little bit unexpected and fresh here, because he’s portrayed himself as a CGI chimp in the film (that’s otherwise populated with real-life actors). Using motion capture, both Robbie Williams and Jonno Davies deliver a very involving lead performance that’s much more than just a visual gimmick.
The film itself is also surprisingly heartfelt and sincere, charting Robbie’s journey to stardom, the Take That years, his departure from the band and his triumphant rise as a solo artist, culminating in his record-breaking Knebworth concert. We learn about his struggles as a child to feel like he was ‘somebody’ in life – something which still haunts him even to this day. It follows the meteoric ‘Take That’ years with a good insight into how the band were treated and how Robbie’s role in the band become untenable, before looking at his perseverance and talent in launching himself as a successful solo artist in his own right.
As someone who never knew much about Robbie Williams’ life outside of the unavoidable, headline-grabbing events that amassed tabloid column inches in the 90s, ‘Better Man’ proved to be a very engaging and heartfelt look into what made him become the man that he is. It was a very welcoming watch for people who aren’t familiar with any part of his life story, so it goes without saying that lifelong Robbie Williams fans will absolutely love this film. His relationship with ‘All Saints’ star Nicole Appleton is very interesting (and heartbreaking) to see unfold in the film, as is his frenemy relationship with the Gallagher brothers of ‘Oasis’. It’s all portrayed with a sobering honesty which is missing in so many biopics lately. Director Michael Gracey, who also co-scripted ‘Better Man’ along with Simon Gleeson and Oliver Cole have really done a great job containing such a vast and varied story into a film that runs well, doesn’t shy away from the harder topics and always holds your attention.
You’d be forgiven for thinking the visual gimmick of the chimp in the lead role was just a cheap selling point but it’s actually not. The CGI looks stunning for the most part – the quality is even up there with some of the ‘Planet of the Apes’ films too – but it’s also a clever narrative tool to show us how he saw himself, and how he changed throughout his career. After a brief adjustment period at the start of the film, you don’t really register him as a chimpanzee throughout the rest of the film, and that’s not only great storytelling but a very powerful leading performance from both Robbie Williams and Jonno Davies in Mo-Cap.
The film uses his impressive back-catalogue of songs really well too, delivering numerous memorable moments that keeps your toes tapping throughout. The big musical number that has been used to sell the film in the trailers is a rousing rendition of ‘Rock DJ’ that takes place in the West End of London. It’s a huge scene with hundreds of performers and is a real marker for the entertainment factor of the film. The Knebworth concert is also shot really well, but for me, ‘Feel’ was the standout track from the film.
‘Better Man’ is far better than you might think. You'll laugh, cry & sing your heart out with this brilliantly entertaining movie that’s better than ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ & ‘Rocketman’ combined. With genuine heart at the core of its story and really energetic lead performances from Williams and Davies, ‘Better Man’ is a nice surprise, and a very inventive way of approaching the conventional biopic. Let him entertain you – you won't be disappointed!
Cast: Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvany, Frazer Hadfield, Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno, Tom Budge, Jake Simmance, Liam Head, Chase Vollenweider, Jesse Hyde, Anthony Hayes, John Waters, Leo Harvey-Elledge, Chris Gun, Carter J. Murphy, Asmara Feik Director: Michael Gracey Writer: Michael Gracey, Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole Certificate: 15 Duration: 134 mins Released by: Entertainment Film Distributors Release date: 26th December 2024
