- Better Man will be out on 25 December in the US and in the UK a day later
- It tells Robbie Williams’ story but if he was a CGI monkey
- It has been getting great reviews from the critics
The Robbie Williams movie Better Man has been getting everyone’s attention lately. Much of this is due to him being one of the most important pop icons of recent history. Another element is that he is depicted in the film as a CGI monkey.
For the unacquainted, Williams sprang to fame as a part of the boyband Take That in the 90s.
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In 1996, he left bandmates Gary Barlow, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Howard Donald behind to go solo. It was an era of Britpop, lad culture and having it large.
Since his heyday, Williams has spoken extensively about his battles with drugs and alcohol. He considers it a part of an attempt to deal with the pressures of fame.
What are the critics saying about Robbie Williams movie Better Man?
The reviews mainly give the flick two thumbs up.
The general consensus is that it could have been another stale movie about a troubled music icon but the decision to make Williams a CGI monkey is a stroke of genius.
The Guardian is full of cautious praise for the film, calling it “a fascinatingly tough proposition”. They concede it injects life into a tired genre, the music biopic, after the panned Amy Winehouse film Back To Black.
While giving it props for its entertainment value, they also noted how its storylines are more emotionally charged. Although things like Williams’ troubled relationship with his father perhaps land flat.
Variety also admits that it veered into the cliche territory, which is almost innate within the music biopic genre.
They laud its director Michael Gracey for opting to go down the animated monkey route, which means “the movie is built around an animated performance powerful enough to wring tears.”
The insanity of choice around the leading man also charms IndieWire, who label the creative choice “plenty transfixing” and a choice that makes never forget William’s difference.
TimeOut called the move “actually one of the most inspired bits of casting of the year”.
On the flip side, The Hollywood Reporter was the most subdued with its assessment of the movie, which they dubbed “a risky, energetic head-scratcher.”
What has Robbie Williams said about being depicted by a monkey?
The Let Me Entertain You hitmaker explained they landed on a monkey because it felt it was the creature that escalated his vibe the most.
In an interview with director Gracey, Williams told NME, “I went: ‘Monkey?’ He went, ‘Yeah, OK,’ and pitched me the idea, and I was totally onboard.”
“Because that’s it, innit? I’m a cheeky monkey, aren’t I? If they said, on Family Fortunes, ‘We asked 100 people, “What animal is Robbie Williams?”’, the people that don’t hate me would probably go, ‘He’s a monkey.’”
