Dance, Monkey, Dance
Robbie Williams is not a man I have ever spent any measurable time thinking about. I was aware of his existence, but I’m not sure that I even could’ve told you that he was a member of Take That before seeing Better Man. I’m sure that’s elicited some gasps, but Take That was just a little bit before my time.
I’m also sure that a sizeable percentage of readers simply nodded along to my ignorance. Many, perhaps, haven’t even heard of Robbie Williams. From a cursory bit of internet sleuthing, I gather that his gargantuan impact on the music scene in Britain in the 90s didn’t have the same effect overseas.
All of this to say: I am not a fan of Robbie Williams—either him, or his music. I just didn’t care. But Better Man’s decision to portray Williams as a CGI chimpanzee certainly caught my eye, and after seeing it, I can confidently say that this is one of the best musical biopics I have ever seen.
Take This… And That!
Catapulted into fame at only fifteen years of age, Robbie Williams (depicted at all times as a chimpanzee; motion capture by Jonno Davies, voice by Williams) is confronted with the many perils of stardom. As he struggles to overcome his worst instincts—and the voices in his head that tell him he’ll never be good enough—his relationships fracture and his mental health plummets.
Wow, fun! Depravity and debauchery are common themes in musical biopics, and while Williams’ general arc is nothing we haven’t seen before, the specifics of how it’s presented makes all the difference. Props to Williams and director Michael Gracey—they didn’t hide behind cinematic techniques or vague allusions to Williams’ darker side; they showed it straight up.
In Better Man, you will see a chimpanzee snort cocaine, stick himself with heroin needles, drive drunk, and rage at his girlfriend. There was a long period of time, by the man’s own admission, where Robbie Williams was a downright horrible person, and while this is no doubt true of many celebrities, the decision to not hold back here feels profound.
Worse Man
There are, in fact, very few redeeming qualities to Williams for most of this movie. This threatens to make Williams dislikeable to the point where continued engagement with the film could feel like a chore, but everything is handled with such style and pace that it manages to avoid that trap. (Not to mention the sprinkled reminders of Williams’ love for his grandmother to, well, humanise him)
Then there’s the dual performance behind Robbie Williams. Williams’ has always had a brash and cheeky sense of humour—perhaps to his own detriment. Even when he’s acting obnoxious and entitled, there’s something about this chimpanzee that pulls the viewer back from the brink of apathy.
Jonno Davies’ motion capture performance meshes so well with Williams’ wit and arrogance. It’s amazing how quickly watching a chimpanzee speak and sing alongside regular humans becomes normal. The effects are also very much on par with the recent Planet of the Apes movies in terms of detail and realism. Chimp-Williams doesn’t feel cartoonish in the slightest.
And Now, The End is Near
The songs are pretty good, too. I’d definitely heard most of them at some point in my life, but I’d say if you’re a Robbie Williams fan, you’d be losing your mind. The choreography ranges from a dazzling bit of showboating down the streets of London with dozens of backup dancers to a stripped-down yet emotional rendition of a passionate song in a dingy flat.
I can’t say that I ran to Spotify to start listening to his music afterwards, but there’s no denying that many of these songs are extremely catchy, and the ones that aren’t catchy are heartfelt, at least. Williams had a complicated relationship with his father, and the movie’s ability to untangle that knot through song will really hit home for some people.
Better Man manages to achieve a rare feat in the world of biopics: making me actually care about a celebrity millionaire. I have a newfound respect for Williams for giving the go-ahead on a film this stylish and daring. It effectively breaks the mould of humdrum musical biopics and I hope that even those who couldn't pick Robbie Williams out of a line-up give the film a chance.
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