Better Man

I remember vividly when I saw the first trailer for Better Man. I thought, “Robbie Williams? Who really cares about that guy anymore?” More importantly, I thought, “Why the hell is there an anthropomorphic Monkey singing in this biopic???” The odds were stacked against it, the subject, the execution, everything. And in some ways, the odds got the better of it. But not in the way that counts. This is a damn good film and a great biopic.

It presents us with a Robbie Williams that we’ve never seen before… One that’s real. It reaches into the deepest pits of his soul and presents them nakedly and proudly. All of the trouble, the health, the addiction, the lifestyle, everything is on full display here. I found myself constantly rooting for this monkey and hoping that he’d make the right choices, despite knowing for certain he doesn’t. The most interesting thing isn’t the uncut portrayal of his life and career, its the way they present them. The film constantly shifts between styles and POVs, keeping you on your toes and presenting you with the chaotic reality of Robbie’s mind. From the first scene, it throws the core of him at you, everything is a game, a show, an act. The camera work, the colour grading, the editing, all of it works in unison to fully portray what a troubled individual this man was growing up in the spotlight.

A common trope amongst biopics these days is the way they utilise the skill or the fame of the person they’re portraying. Better Man uses Robbie’s extensive catalogue of music very carefully and specifically. Each song coming at just the right time, perfectly encapsulating how he’s feeling at the time, being on top of the world with “Rock DJ” or the lowest point of his life with “Something Beautiful”. Every single number serves the story, rather than the story serving the music. The film shows us different manifestations of imposter syndrome, something which even I deal with from time to time, and it really hit home with me. Showing them personified as abusive versions of himself, constantly abusing him and haunting him, was a genius bit of visual storytelling. Giving the thing that terrorises him the most a physical form that we can see as well? Inspired creative vision from the director right there.

The film isn’t perfect however, as it does suffer from some pacing issues and often finds itself retreading the same plot beats. The subplot with his father felt like it could have used more attention, or with his girlfriend as well. We needed more of those human moments rather than focusing on his career, so we can relate to him as a person, not as a celebrity.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It stands in the same league as Rocketman (though not topping it in the slightest) as some of the best and unique takes on a biopic I’ve seen yet. It’s a shame this film didn’t do well when it came out, but I always thought it would find a second life on streaming, which I sincerely hope it does.