Better Man
Robbie Williams embraces the dancing monkey allegations in this refreshing biopic
Robbie Williams gets primal in this fun biopic.
Let’s get this out of the way now — Robbie Williams is not actually a chimpanzee.
But he’s spent most of his life feeling like a dancing monkey, that when it came time to make his biopic, he decided to be one. It’s a rather clever conceit, especially if you’re familiar with Williams and his music, but clearly this movie was going to be a bit of a hard sell in America (the only country Williams never achieved fame in).
Now that we know he’s not a chimpanzee, let’s get to the review.
Ever since he was little, Robbie Williams (voiced by Williams himself and motion-captured by Jonno Davies), has wanted adoration. He didn’t get it from his father, who spent his nights pretending to be Frank Sinatra as he sang along to old recordings of Ol’ Blue Eyes’ records.
He gets a little taste of the adoration he’s always craved when he appears in a children’s production of Pirates of Penzance. He mucks up his part, but saves it by acting like a goofball. When the audience laughs, then cheers, Robbie is hooked.
After his father leaves the family, being famous becomes even more important to Robbie. He wants to make his mother and grandmother proud and prove to his father that he’s the real superstar.
Joining the boy band Take That, Robbie starts on his path to fame. He encounters all the typical hurdles and temptations…and embraces them all. Known as a bad boy in music and a disaster in the English press, Robbie must decide if pursuing fame will really get him the love he’s craved his whole life.
I’ll admit: I’m one of probably 50 Americans who was a Robbie Williams superfan. My companion to see Better Man only had a vague notion that he was a singer who popped up when I put my Spotify on. I was curious how the ape gambit would play to an audience that wasn’t aware of his dancing monkey themes. It turns out the fun and joy of Robbie Williams can be felt whether he’s a simian or a human.
By making the undeniably unusual decision to cast the lead in your musician biopic as a motion-captured chimp, director Michael Gracey actually makes it easier to capture the essence of Robbie Williams. Obviously, there’s the dancing monkey metaphor. But more importantly, by using motion capture, Gracey is able to blend the vocals of Robbie Williams with the physical acting of Davies. It opens up the film, giving it authenticity but also plausibility. Davies does a great job of capturing the physicality of Williams’ early performances, and Robbie is able to supply the vocals and personality.
It works surprisingly well. It also refreshes a genre that’s, let’s face it, kind of formulaic. Much like Rocketman, Better Man finds a creative way to tell a very familiar story. It also helps to make the story feel more personal. Too many music biopics feel exactly the same; any attempt to differentiate is appreciated. It’s a gamble, but one that ultimately pays off.
Even in emotional moments, the chimpanzee manages to pull it off. There are some shockingly touching moments that are carried off by a CGI chimp, including a lovely dance number with Robbie’s first love and a gut-wrenching funeral scene.
As for the performance, it’s rather seamless. Davies clearly studied Williams’ physicality and nailed it. Robbie comes in with the voiceover to inject his personality into the lines. It’s rather like watching a skilled animation team craft a character.
If you’ve never heard of Robbie Williams, I believe Better Man is a pretty interesting introduction. Get past the monkey, and there’s a wealth of good music and fun dance numbers to enjoy. If you live in America and do know who Robbie Williams is, you’ll devour this like the Wicked fans devoured their musical.
Verdict: A whimsical conceit elevates this by-the-numbers biopic.
Better Man is rated R and available January 10.
