The musical biopic has been one of the most saturated genres in recent years. However, in a bizarre turn, the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man, has a monkey for a lead, in a journey of soul-searching, fame and torture. But this animalistic exterior does not distract in the slightest but rather contributes to the success of this biopic.
The film follows Robbie’s life in a rags-to-riches story, from his upbringing in Stoke-on-Trent, a place he describes as “grubby and deprived’, all the way up to the height of his fame, playing to a crowd of 125,000 at Knebworth. The film opens with Robbie voicing over telling his story of always wanting to put on a show, othering him, as he is bullied as a young boy, whacked in goal with an oversized Port Vale shirt. This is where the monkey look comes into its own.
The film shows the tug between love and fame. Early on Robbie’s dad, a showman himself, deserts the family. Robbie’s retort “I just wanna feel real love, feel the home that I live in”. It is his dad who is the driving force. The one who tells him to risk it all, whatever it takes, as paradise is on the other side.
After the first number “Feel”, you feel immediately at peace with the film. You feel in safe hands that both the choice to use a monkey in place of Robbie and the integration of music will work. This is shown again further down the line with a thunderous “Rock DJ” sequence down Regent Street, a one-shot scene that whizzes you around the London tourist district with all the glitz and glam showing the wonder of fame. Other tracks such as “She’s the One” and “Angels” also hit with great power.
What else is notable is that there are stakes and consequences to the piece. This is not a Bohemian Rhapsody-esque biopic that is without any form of character flaws, but rather a gripping, troubled, yet awe-inspiring depiction of Take That’s former bad boy. Throughout, Robbie is troubled by his image and his feelings despite having all the fame and money in the world. He has an overinflated ego and is selfish, all adding to a cathartic picture that makes the figure more human. This, coming from the director of The Greatest Showman, which often neglects the issues with PT Barnham, with emotionally manipulative songs that take away from the trauma of the film is a big surprise.
As the film goes on, it is as if Robbie is haunted by his past, with previous looks of himself standing in the audience, tormenting him. It is a cathartic and genuine look at the man, more focused on creating a feeling than remaining 100% truthful. Whilst there are some issues in pacing, with a stodgy second act, and a struggle to properly convey time, perhaps due to the monkey makeup, it doesn’t derail what is a fairly standard biopic that hits the beats, with a façade of visual extravagance and cheek.
Better Man is a surprisingly genuine look at the life of Robbie Williams, a story about his struggles with depression and addiction with an inability to be open. As he says, no one buys a ticket to hear your problems, and that fame looks good in a photo. Using his discography as a way of highlighting his emotions. It is a cathartic experience showing Robbie haunted by his past but getting over this hurdle, whilst remaining this wild, cheeky and unevolved figure as he tries to become a better man.
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