Better Man review by Bobby Blakey
Throughout the years there have been a ton of biographical films focusing on the careers of musicians and bands. Within them there are a select few that took a more creative direction to tell their tail such as Pharrell’s film Piece by Piece animated in LEGO form. One the most creative directions ever comes in Better Man telling the story of Robbie Williams from The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey. Could this unique direction in storytelling manage to elevate the story of Williams life and career or will it be too bananas to work?
Better Man follows the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey, the film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit. It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.
I must be honest I wasn’t overly interested in this film. I am fully aware of Williams mostly through interviews, but not a fan of any of his music so I didn’t have any connection to him. Add to the mix this strange direction of making him a chimpanzee and I was just baffled too why. To my surprise this is a fantastic film and not only brings some great music and heavy depth into his life and career, but the creative choice of the Chimp persona works. For those confused the idea was that he always felt more like a dancing monkey, so that is how he is portrayed here as well as the more animalistic elements coming out during his drug fueled outbursts.
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It's a creative decision that has no business working and yet it does. The thing is it’s never addressed as we are witnessing how he sees himself and not the outside world. He isn’t an actual chimp on stage in this world of humans it is a visual metaphor and is way more powerful than I thought it might be. It also brings a unique feel to the film that helps to elevate it to something that could have been just another biography.
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The story is both triumphant and just sad as we follow his journey into fame and complete rock bottom on the career front, but in all aspects of his life. They hold nothing back, allowing the story to showcase the ups and downs of his life and slap you in the face with reality in this not so realistic portrayal. The song and dance numbers are well choreographed and shot to really pull you into the music whether you are a fan or not. It all just works and manages to be a story that I didn’t know I needed or even wanted to hear, but here we are, and I applaud its bold choices and perfect execution.
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The final moments and performance are the perfect cap to the story told here with a great song choice and recreation of a pivotal moment in his life of self-discovery and path forward. Whether you are a fan or not I highly recommend checking out this biography like you have never seen before.
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Decide for yourself and grab your copy of Better Man available now on digital, 4K, Blu-ray and DVD from Paramount Home Entertainment.