“Better Man” A Bold Approach on Robbie Williams’ Life Story

For those who may not remember, the Robbie Williams biopic, “Better Man,” is a recent release that had an initial wide release this past January. Despite the fact that this movie received glowing reviews, it performed rather poorly in its domestic run, which was ultimately driven by a combination of the subject’s limited fame in the US market, a very high production budget and the unusual concept of using a CGI monkey.

So, let’s dive into the recent release - “Better Man.”

“Better Man” is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams. Under the direction of Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”), the film is uniquely told from Robbie’s perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit.

It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of the British boyband Take That, through his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist - all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

Before checking out “Better Man,” I’ll admit I really wasn’t familiar with Robbie Williams at all. Now that I have seen the film, I can say that it can be highly entertaining for the most part and if you do enjoy the works of Robbie Williams, you’ll likely enjoy this biopic.

“Better Man” is definitely a bold approach to the music biopic genre since this biopic featured a CGI monkey in place of a human actor. While I was looking around online, I read in an interview that Williams said that he sometimes felt like a “performing monkey” while he performs - hence the CGI chimpanzee that’s used in the film. The CGI monkey can be a little distracting at times and it almost reminds me of one of the CGI chimpanzees from the recent “Planet of the Apes” movies.

The Robbie Williams biopic delivers some visually stunning musical numbers that are both really creative and well-choreographed. While fans of Williams will likely enjoy all of the musical numbers, the “Rock DJ” and “She’s the One” sequences will really stand out as they both effectively advanced the biopic’s story. The “Rock DJ” sequence is a pivotal moment since it shows his childhood dream of stardom coming true, while the “She’s the One” sequence shows the beginning of his romance with Nicole Appleton,

which is intercut with the heartbreaking reality of their relationship.

The film’s main emotional core, which focuses on the on-again/off-again relationship with his father and their eventual reconciliation, can create a tear jerking impact for most viewers and their duet at the end can be quite moving. “Better Man” also focuses on Williams’ hardcore drug and alcohol use that spirals out of control as his fame grows.

Like I stated before, if you are familiar with Robbie Williams and enjoy his work, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this film. The overall story can actually get rather emotional and you may get used to the CGI monkey.

Trivia: The poster for the movie replicates the same photo utilized for the cover of Robbie Williams’ 1997 debut solo album, “Life Thru A Lens.” The movie arose from multiple interview recordings of director Michael Gracey made with Williams over the course of a year and a half in Williams’ Los Angeles recording studio. The interviews weren’t originally for a movie, as Gracey “just wanted to capture Williams in his own voice telling his story,” but the majority of Williams’ voice in the movie is from these recordings.

MPA: Rated R for drug use, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity and some violent content   (runtime 135 minutes)   (Paramount Plus)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVeH5T4wxkE

• The film arose from multiple interview recordings filmmaker Michael Gracey made with Robbie Williams over the course of a year and a half in Williams' Los Angeles recording studio. The interviews weren't originally for a film, as Gracey "just wanted to capture [Williams] in his own voice telling his story," but the majority of Williams' voice in the film is from those recordings.

• Securing permission to shoot the lavish dance sequence on Regent Street in London took a year and an half as the British Crown Estate owns it. Two nights before filming was scheduled, after spending an entire week in rehearsal, Queen Elizabeth II passed away and the shoot had to be postponed. Everyone had to be paid anyway, including shop owners and crew, and production insurance didn't cover the losses due to death of a monarch. Producers had to raise additional funds to shoot the sequence, which filmed five months later.

• The poster for the film replicates the same photo utilized for the cover of Robbie Williams' 1997 debut solo album, Life Thru A Lens.

• The song "Forbidden Road" received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. The song was also shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 97th Academy Awards, but was disqualified because it incorporated material from an existing song. Per the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, songs under consideration for nominations must be completely original and contain absolutely no material from existing songs.

• A rough cut of the film, with no special effects, no color grading, and temporary music, was screened to buyers at the American Film Market 2023. Director Michael Gracey sat and patiently and diligently took notes from all buyers on the film's reaction.

• Robbie Williams accompanied Michael Gracey in almost every single presentation prior to the film's completion.

• Both Robbie Williams and his former band feature in films nominated at the 97th Academy Awards. The film was nominated in the Best Visual Effects category. Take That's 2008 song 'Greatest Day' (recorded 13 years after Robbie left and two years before he briefly rejoined them in 2010) is featured prominently in Sean Baker's 'Anora'.

• Robbie Williams is portrayed as an anthropomorphic chimpanzee, performed by Jonno Davies using motion capture, and co-voiced by Williams: this was due to Williams' perception of himself as a "performing monkey" and Michael Gracey's vision of the film as a "satirical musical." No character comments on his appearance. Williams also re-recorded several songs from his discography for the film.