Better Man
Where to Watch: Theaters
Directed By:
Michael Gracey
Written By:
Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey
Starring:
Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton
Genre:
Biography, Fantasy, Musical
Rated R
All media courtesy of Paramount Pictures
British Pop Superstar Robbie Williams may not be a household name in the US, but after this film, he could be. In “Better Man” we get a story covering his meteoric rise, fall, and rise again as a music icon. It’s a fairly run-of-the-mill music biopic, but with one significant twist, as Robbie is portrayed in the film as a CGI ape, while Robbie narrates the film himself.
Robbie started his rise to fame young, being inspired by the crooners of old, including the great Frank Sinatra. He asks his grandmother in the film if he “has got the spark”, to which she replies “plenty”. Perhaps a small example of his self-loathing for himself during his entire career, “Better Man” explores the inner demons of Robbie Williams with a unique style and fun music, but it may still be too on the nose for me.
There are a couple of standout numbers in this biopic musical. One is a sweeping one-take through the streets of London blasting “Rock DJ”, as the boy band “Take That” performs impressive choreography paired with crisp camerawork. Others include a slow dance on a yacht and a montage through his later career as a solo artist. I did not know any of Robbie William’s music before going in, and I don’t think you need to know him to still have a fun time in the theater.
I also can relate to Robbie Williams’s self-doubt. He sees himself in the crowd, over his shoulder, always bringing him down and finding ways to chip at his own confidence. I think imposter syndrome is a real thing and “Better Man” does a good job of showing that even from a young age, this is a person who longed for acceptance and love, but did not know how to find it.
“Better Man” is strong as far as musicals released in this awards season, the other being “Wicked.” Both are well-shot and have fun musical showcases. In my opinion, “Better Man” may be more generic with its story and relies on audiences to overlook that with the unique delivery of centering on a CGI monkey. It’s certainly an achievement not to be forgotten this year, but I feel it’s uniqueness visually is sugarcoating formulaic moments that could’ve been written better.
Overall, “Better Man” is a fun time in the theaters. If you love musicals you’ll have a great time. If you don’t know Robbie Williams, you can still enjoy this, and might even have a new artist to listen to over the new year.
See It or Skip It 