The biopic of Take That bad boy, Robbie Williams, in ape form may be a box office banana slip, but it has given a tired genre a resurgence. Better Man ultimately aims to create a face lift for the Musical Biopic by literally making the singer/songwriter a cgi monkey. Bold for sure, but, despite performing favourably on home turf, the film has yet to make a significant box office impact in the UK, garnering just £1.5 million in its debut week and totalling £3.8 million thus far. It has also struggled to resonate with audiences in the US, grossing a mere $1.1 million (£908k) overseas so far.
Regardless, critics and audiences are responding enthusiastically to its high-octane style.
Musical Biopic have slowly become stale through the overuse of cliches – from toxic managers, tensions with the band or loved ones, fallouts and substance abuse from overdosing on fame. However, it is hard to judge these traits as cliches as this is after all history (unless you’re Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)). What Better Man does with these common traits in portraying William’s life and exploits is through very creative visuals and direction to utilise song and dance.
Personally, I think Better Man really benefits from Michael Gracey in the directing chair. Incorporating songs from biopic’s protagonist is nothing new, but Gracey films it like a West End production, reminiscent of his days in The Greatest Showman. One dance number where Take That bad boy meets Nicole Appleton is exceptionally superb in conveying a tumultuous relationship set to unfold rather than drudging through the basic fallouts.
What the film does well is convey self hatred and loss of identity in the musical industry; or celebrity culture in general. This is where the monkey comes in. If you were one of those who looked puzzled when the trailer dropped, be assured the gimmick of Robbie Williams as the left over effects from Planet of the Apes works well as it speaks to how wide-eyed talent become performing monkeys for managers or masses of fans.
Insecurity, the search for self-authenticity and the desire for acceptance are the three elements that fuel the film. “Robbie became a character, something I could hide behind,” says Williams the narrator, offering some rationale for the CGI monkey used to portray the artist. In case you’ve missed the publicity, Williams is “played” by actor Jonno Davies, but in a computerised twist, special visual effects present the performer as a CGI walking-talking-singing-dancing simian.
Additionally, to convey Robbie’s inner demons, constant visuals of his past stalk him, not just his never-present dad but version of [monkey]self that remind him that he’s a constant lie and that no one can ever see the real him. And it climaxes into a chaotic mess that makes this (and this in itself will be a cliche among any who review this movie) stand out amongst the others.
The acting is relatively stellar. Steve Pemberton and Alison Steadman are particularly stand outs, especially Streadman, who plays Williams’ nan, who was the close to making me tear up. As for Jonno Davies, his performance is sturdy, mimicking the vocals with added flare, but he is even more commendable at conveying emotions through the motion capture of the cgi ape.
Whether it can fully shake off the genre’s tiredness, Better Man comes out swinging and is a true blast! It’s bold, exhilarating and tells a hard hitting story through brilliant visuals. It’s something that the genre needed and something we may deserve.
