6 days ago
Better Man
The BAFTA-nominated musical take on Robbie William's life, with the singer played by a digital chimp
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Prime Video
Have you ever imagined what a film of Robbie Williams's life might look like if he were played by a digital chimp, and it were staged as a jukebox musical? That's exactly the approach Michael Gracey's film takes to portraying the ascent of the Angels singer, tracing his rise from the streets of Stoke-on-Trent to the heights of entertaining more than 375,000 at Knebworth in 2003.
It's a rags-to-riches story then, but one shot through with the importance of relationships - chiefly, Robbie's relationship with himself. The portrayal of the ex-Take Thatter as a chimp represents Robbie's insecurities and how he measures himself through the eyes of those around him, personally and professionally. Two other relationships are significant here, too - that with his showman father and with All Saints' Nicole Appleton, to whom Robbie was engaged. The story of their relationship and especially why she didn't move forward with her pregnancy, is arguably the emotional core of the film and unexpectedly moving in what it says about the cost of fame and why people are prepared to pay it.
Gracey's film is filled with creatively staged musical numbers that veer in style from West End razzmatazz to edgy music video, deploying nifty visual effects throughout that earned it a BAFTA nomination. It's also, we shouldn't forget to say, a highly entertaining film to watch, particularly the stretch detailing Robbie's time with Take That. Although it may leave you wondering why on earth anyone would pursue a career in pop music in the first place. (135 minutes)
