My friends are tired of me talking about the new musical biopic “Better Man.” They no longer want to discuss the film’s portrayal of the life of British pop-star Robbie Williams, or the reasons he decided the film should portray him as a photorealistic animated monkey. But they should care about this movie; I feel everyone should.
I’ll be completely honest: I had never heard of Robbie Williams before the first time I saw the movie’s trailer, but I was familiar with his music. I’m sure you are, too, if you’ve ever watched the “Bridget Jones” films, “Cars 2” or “X-Men: First Class” Williams and his former band Take That, with which he still collaborates on occasion, were pretty big in Britain and greater Europe. If you are a fan of “Derry Girls,” recall the episode where the gang tries to find their way to a British pop concert; they were going to see Robbie Williams. Well, his whole band was playing, but he was always the main character.
That’s the narrative “Better Man” is trying to sell you, and one that the screenplay simultaneously upholds and tries to dispel. At the very least, Williams does not view himself as someone aspirational; that’s why he and director Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”) decided to depict the musician as an animal. Williams, as revealed by Gracey, often felt like a caged animal performing for crowds, claiming the pop star called it “playing monkey,” driving the duo to pursue the creative medium to tell his life story.
I’ll be frank; I would never have watched the movie if the film didn’t make Williams a monkey. But now, I find that the monkey thing is at best unnecessary, and at worst an active hindrance on the film’s quality. The film is so much more than a monkey singing and dancing.
The film is what every good biopic should be: honest, critical and a showcase for the best of his work. In conversation, I once called the film “Rocketman, but everything is turned up 500%,” and I stand by that assessment. But the issue lies in the ape of it all. Robbie Williams’ choice to portray himself as a monkey works thematically, at moments, but throughout the whole film it becomes actively distracting. If the point is to show the lifestyle Williams led was unglamorous, Gracey’s direction and the supporting performances of Raechelle Banno as Nicole Appleton and Frazer Hadfield as childhood best-friend Nate (no last name) demonstrate this enough. I sincerely feel there is nothing in the film that I would think “Oh, this would be cool if a human was doing it.” A human doing heroin in a dingy bathroom just to feel good enough to perform is tragic; a monkey doing the same is insanely disturbing, and sadly kind of hilarious.
That is ultimately the crux of my issue with the film. The monkey thing is an interesting angle, and it’s what gave me the push to care enough about the film to watch it. Now that I got past that point, I think the movie — already great on its own — would have been even better if they played it earnestly. The editing, writing, direction and energy Williams brings to the project is already so full of personality and unique style that the film could have stood out on its own. Adding a CGI monkey felt like a step too far.
I highly recommend this film. It is a great examination of a real world case of fame’s corruptive power and a victorious comeback from that brink of darkness. I just suggest it with the forewarning that you really have to look past the monkey mask Williams is wearing.
