Better Man

When a biopic of Robbie Williams was first announced, it did nothing to grab my attention.  I can take or leave the music of the former Take That star, with only an interest in a small number of his tracks over the years, and so a straight up biopic was clearly not aiming itself at me.  However, all that changed when the talk about how it was going to play was revealed – with Robbie being played by a CGI primate!  Thinking it was some kind of joke, once the trailer landed and it became clear that they were serious, I found myself intrigued.  It also helped that the trailer was infused with an energy to it that was enticing, swiftly winning me over.  Having a wife who is a big fan of the singer, it was inevitable that she would want to watch this, but now, thankfully, I wouldn’t be getting dragged along against my will.

Directed by Michael Gracey, who gave us the infectious fun musical The Greatest Showman, and who has also dabbled in real life musician material through his Pink! All I Know So Far documentary in 2021, Better Man is a wild ride of a film that takes us on a chaotic journey through the rise, fall, and revival of Williams – the bad boy of Take That.  It showcases the early life of the star, starting from his humble beginnings as a kid in Stoke On Trent, who saw his father exit his life early on seeking fame himself.  The removal of a father figure in his life, who the young lad idolised, and who had imbued a passion for the music of  music hall greats such as Sinatra, hit the youngster hard, and led him to try to prove himself to his absent father.  Circumstance led him to audition for a new boy band, where despite an awkward talent musically, it was his cheeky charm that secured him a place within Take That.  However, troubled youth and sudden fame can be harsh bedfellows, and Williams’ life spiralled into patterns of addiction and conflict with those close to him. 

This is a biopic that isn’t afraid of confronting the worst of the subject, and doesn’t portray Williams in a glorified light, instead really showing him as the ego-fuelled addict that he was for the better part of the film, before the latter half follows his journey in struggling to become, well, A Better Man.  All of this is made more impactful, and indeed emotional, given that Robbie himself tells the story, and this is where part of the genius of substituting him for a CGI ape plays so perfectly!

The ape lead is amazingly rendered, with Jonno Davies providing the mo-cap performance with all the swagger that Robbie himself demonstrated over his career.  Within the first few scenes you start to no longer see the ape, but see a living, breathing character’s life playing out.  With Williams giving a warts-and-all account of his life, this doesn’t feel as sanitised as biopics such as Bohemian Rhapsody, where the darker moments were brushed aside leaving an empty bit of fan service.  Instead we get a moving and honest account of a very complicated artist, with a raw depth of emotion sure to make a few eyes well up at points.

The music of the star (and Take That) is utilised in creative ways, with one particular sequence standing out as a pure comical, chaotic treat, flashing through the early rise of Take That as Robbie belts out “Rock DJ” with the group moving through the London streets and drawing crowds – it’s a moment that really shows off the creativity in direction that Gracey can offer. 

Better Man is a fascinatingly unique approach to telling a biopic, that on paper should be too bizarre to work,  but defies expectations to deliver something that fans of the subject will adore, but not to the detriment of the non-fans, who can find enough energy, emotion, and drama within to embrace the end result.  What could have been a pandering bit of biopic gloss like Bo Rhap instead lifts to be something closer to a rags to riches drama with highs and lows, some fantastic musical numbers, and (like Robbie Williams himself) much more than the sum of its parts.