While music biopics have become an old song and dance that goes through stock-standard highs and lows of an artist’s life and career, director Michael Gracey tries to inject fresh energy into the formula with his latest film Better Man. And, although the film can’t totally avoid the genre’s pitfalls, its strong visuals and emotional beats turn the life of British pop star Robbie Williams into a worthwhile cinematic endeavor.  

The film chronicles Williams’ life as he joins the UK-based boy band Take That before starting a solo career full of triumph and tragedy. Now, that might sound like a fairly familiar narrative, but there’s one front-and-center element that makes it stand apart. Instead of Williams playing himself or being portrayed by a top-name actor, there’s a CGI, anthropomorphic monkey in his place. It’s a choice that’s definitely as strange as it sounds, and initially hinders the film a bit. In general, the depiction comes off like a cheap gimmick because there’s no reason established for its existence. And, it’s a big distraction as viewers make a first impression of Williams’ distinct persona. Yet, with time, this portrayal gains a significant, multi-layered meaning that ties into the film’s more personal purpose. 

In a similar vein to Rocketman’s portrayal of Elton John, Better Man intimately dissects Williams’ perspective – intertwining his music and personal life in the process. For the most part, this works incredibly well in creating this emotional pull that rarely loosens its grip. The neglect Williams receives from his father (Steve Pemberton) fuels this need for approval and stardom that’s gutting to see evolve as he joins Take That, and then escalate more as he goes solo. It builds this thematic throughline that often pulls no punches, and Gracey does an excellent job showing Williams at his most vulnerable and volatile. Every fall Williams endures is generally more damaging than the last, and the rawness of Williams’ viewpoint is always maintained. It’s what makes this sort of tell-all approach immensely engaging, and Williams’ issues with self-worth and finding a genuine place for himself in the world contain a relatable depth. 

More importantly though, this is where this depiction of WIlliams as a singing/talking monkey finds dynamic meaning. There’s such a strong symbolic power behind this visual that shines through its quirky nature. Whether it represents Williams becoming a devolved circus animal for an unforgiving industry or embodies his growing detachment from his personal life, this characterization always neatly ties into the story at hand. It’s also an incredibly effective way to display Williams’ bombastic energy as an artist – which is further brought to life by Jonno Davies’ motion capture/voice performance as well as Williams’ astounding vocals. Even better, it’s a very well-designed character that’s super emotive and acts as a centerpiece to Gracey’s ambitious approach to Williams’ story. 

Better Man is a surprising feast for the eyes through these jaw-dropping visuals that bring the fantasy-like nature of Williams to life on the big screen. Even the quietest, most personal moments are heightened by a wild sense of flair that’s fitting to Williams’ larger than life aspirations. Plus, the music sequences are an absolute treat that pack a real punch. The sequence utilizing “Rock DJ” instantly gives Williams’ sudden fame an eye-widening sense of scale that expands as the song goes on. Songs like “Come Undone,” “She’s the One,” and “Angels” have their emotions raised to stellar heights because of the dazzling, sometimes daunting visuals that Gracey imbues into them. Even the devastating horror of Williams’ self doubt is characterized excellently and manifests into these haunting reflections scattered throughout the film. Eventually, it builds towards a deeply impactful sequence of Williams fighting his inner demons. Gracey’s visual storytelling is top-notch the whole way through Better Man, and it generally elevates the film behind its more generic trappings. 

Yes, sadly, even with the film featuring big emotional scenes that really hit and a captivating visual identity, Better Man can’t avoid being what it doesn’t want to be – ordinary. A big issue with the film is its breakneck pacing as we shift through different parts of Williams’ life in the blink of an eye. Before you even have time to comprehend his rise to stardom with Take That, he’s suddenly out of band striking out on his own. Because the story moves so fast, you never feel like you get all the context of what’s happening in his life or his history as an icon. There’s always this missing element to his arc that rarely comes through and it forces the film to often rely on genre tropes and formulaic story direction to get by. Plus, sometimes the narration comes off forced or a little too ego-driven in ways that can be a real turnoff. At the end of all, there are interesting takeaways from Williams’ perspective, but not his story and it just feels like you watched simply ANOTHER music biopic. 

Better Man certainly has its flaws on a story front and gets in its own way of depicting the life of Robbie Williams as something other than a standard rise, fall, and then redeem music story. But, it’s hard not to enjoy the ride it provides as Gracey’s visual lens, the great use of music, and its intriguing thematic power make the film an enjoyable watch.

Watch the Trailer Here: