To call "Better Man" just another musician biopic would be to miss the point entirely. Michael Gracey’s take on Robbie Williams’ life is daring, deeply introspective, and—rather fittingly for a man who has always defied expectations—utterly unconventional.
Much has been said about the film’s most audacious choice: Robbie Williams as a CGI chimpanzee. At first, it might seem like an eccentric creative whim, the kind of flourish you’d expect from the director of The Greatest Showman. But as the film unfolds, this decision reveals itself to be a masterstroke. Williams has often spoken about feeling like a “performing monkey” in the industry, an entertainer at the mercy of the audience’s applause and expectations. By embodying this metaphor so literally, "Better Man" strips away the usual biopic varnish, offering a raw and poetic commentary on fame, self-worth, and the toll of entertainment.
This is not a film interested in hagiography. It is unflinchingly honest about Williams' struggles—with addiction, mental health, and the alienation that often comes with success. It plunges into his lowest moments without flinching, yet it never feels gratuitous or voyeuristic. Instead, it crafts a deeply human portrait, one that resonates far beyond the music industry.
That’s not to say "Better Man" is all gloom. The film is full of dazzling set pieces, some of which rank among the most visually stunning musical sequences in recent memory. A breathtaking reimagining of the Knebworth concerts reminds us of Williams at the height of his power, a man who could command an audience of hundreds of thousands yet still feel alone inside.
The choreography, cinematography, and sheer emotional force behind these moments elevate "Better Man" beyond a standard biopic—it becomes something more akin to a psychological odyssey, a journey through Robbie’s mind as much as his career.
And then, of course, there’s the music. For those of us who grew up with his songs as the soundtrack to our youth, hearing them in this new context is profoundly moving. Feel, Angels, Come Undone—they all take on new layers of meaning, transformed by the narrative that frames them.
At its heart, "Better Man" is a story of survival in an industry that eats its young. It’s about a man who has spent his life fighting—against addiction, against industry pressures, against his own doubts—and has come through it all with his wit, self-awareness, and capacity for reinvention intact.
It’s a film that reminds us why Robbie Williams has remained such an enduring and beloved figure, not just because of his music, but because of his willingness to be unapologetically himself, warts and all.
In the end, "Better Man" is exactly what its title suggests: not the story of perfection, but of progress. Of a man still standing, still singing, still proving that, no matter how many times you fall, there is always a way to rise again.
8.5/10
Add comment
Comments