Yes, singer Robbie Williams is a CGI simian in this wildly ambitious musical biopic. But what sounds like it should be buffoonery is actually one of the most inspired bits of casting of the year. Even more than with The Greatest Showman, director Michael Gracey has created a fun, bombastic, brilliant choreographed and totally enthralling film.
This time he takes us from Williams’ childhood in Stoke, and the shadow cast upon him by his crooning father, to his unhappy boy band years, the painful break-ups with Take That and All Saint Nicole Appleton, and, finally, redemption in the form of a solo career and success that Gary Barlow could only dream about.
The pacing is electrifying and there are plenty of thrilling dance sequences; one medley on London’s Regent Street is jaw-dropping. Williams is number three on the list of musicians with the most UK number one albums, with only The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in front of him. But when it comes to musical biopics, William’s might be out front on his own. Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody are just two of the lauded films left in the dust by Better Man.
It’s one of the most inspired bits of casting of the year
Fans of Williams will point to his song Me and My Monkey as the inspiration for the movie – and not just because Williams is played (and voiced in dialogue) by Jonno Davies, via a simian CGI makeover by the VFX team behind Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. The tune is all about Williams’ much-publicised battle against drug addiction and his path to making peace with himself. The movie follows a similar template. Most rock biopics can be hagiographic to a fault; this one sees Williams airing all his dirty laundry. What makes it so endearing is that the singer takes accountability for his actions. In fact, sometimes it feels like he beats himself up a bit too much for the folly of his youth.
Strip away the celebrity depictions – especially that of Liam Gallagher being, well, Liam Gallagher – and this is the story of a small-town boy who had the personality and bravado to be famous but didn't have the tools to cope with it. It's the story of how insecurity and anxiety can lead us to self-destruct. But also how, with some introspection and a moment to take stock, we can get the monkey off our back.
In US theaters Dec 25, and UK and Ireland cinemas Dec 26.