The rise of Robbie Williams in Take That to his dramatic exit from the band to be a solo artist as he battled his own demons of substance abuse is told from perspective of a CGI monkey.
On paper this film really shouldn’t work. When first rumoured, there was a sense of Better Man (2024) being a fake AI film that audiences would stumble upon on Facebook. It’s been especially funny seeing American audiences have no idea who Williams is.
But the film turns out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year.
That really comes down to the honesty that Williams allows director Michael Gracey of Greatest Showman (2017) to explore.
Williams admits that he “only wanted to do this to become famous, I am not some tortured artist, just an everyday person from Stoke who wanted to get out” which is refreshing.
With that honesty, Williams acknowledged that he probably isn’t a great singer. When he sings ‘Let Me Entertain You’, his inner demons of himself as CGI monkeys say he’s rubbish and try to kill him.
Those two elements are refreshing because often with biopics, depending on the artist, they are presented as tortured individuals with something great to say.
I would say the film does fall into those clichés at times. There is a whole montage at the end where Williams apologises to everyone including Gary Barlow, who, to be fair, the film does make digs but in a playful way.
However, before that, Robbie is in rehab with his group, he acknowledges that he wasn’t a good person but it’s a cliché that all biopics love to do. I do think the film is overstretched but once again it’s inherently an issue all biopics have of trying to get everything in.
What about the music sequences? Well, they are great, which is no surprise with Gracey as the director.
The ‘Rock DJ’ number is a standout. It’s a fun sequence done in London, specifically in Piccadilly Circus. The sequence is full of fantastic energy, ‘She’s the One’ is a visually stunning sequence, and ‘Angels’ is a lovely tribute to Williams’ gran.
Jonno Davies did all the motion capture for the CGI chimpanzee and played Robbie for nonsinging scenes. I thought Davies did a good job, especially with the choreography but also had that cheeky arrogance Robbie is known for.
Alison Steadman plays Betty, the gran of Robbie, whose character really is the heart of the film. You can tell how close Robbie was to his gran which is highlighted beautifully in the ‘Angels’ rendition.
Finally, Steve Pemberton gives a notable performance as Peter, who is the father of Robbie. He instilled this idea that if an individual doesn’t have fame, then really what is their worth?
Overall Better Man (2024) is a genuine surprise. Yes, at times it falls into the clichés, but it’s that honesty that makes it feel refreshing.
