LOS ANGELES, Dec. July 21 (UPI) — Robbie Williams is the latest subject of a biopic about a musician. Better Man, which opens in theaters on December 25, is so wild that it gently stands out from films like Walk the Line and Bohemian Rhapsody.
Williams went solo after friction with the band but still struggled to write original lyrics. By Better Man’s accounts, Williams had a similar cinematic trajectory as Johnny Cash or Freddie Mercury.
This is a visual effect from Planet of the Apes. Jonno Davies voices the monkey and plays the footage, along with some performers for elaborate dance scenes.
The film never gets used to having a monkey as the lead character, a real-life figure who is still alive at that. It never ceases to be off-putting, especially when Williams sings and dances elaborate choreography, and that is part of the film’s power.
Now, when Williams goes through the stereotypical spiral into drugs and alcohol, watching a monkey recreate those scenes is avant-garde art. The visual effect captures Williams’ charm and emotional turmoil, so it’s not a joke.
It’s not even a movie star embodying Williams. There’s neither the real Williams nor an actor’s persona to attach to the film, removing yet another layer of artifice but replacing it with an even more jarring one.
Another biographical story includes a scene in which Williams sings a rough demo of his hit “Something Beautiful” and confronts his absent father (Steve Pemberton) for abandoning him. The biographical culture of showing images of the real Williams in the credits breaks the spell when the audience can see that he was not a real monkey.
The monkey is the boldest leap that Better Man takes, but it is not the only one. A disco ball effect lights up giant venues and the film includes a climactic action scene.
The musical numbers are dynamic and add a walk through the streets of London in a single uninterrupted shot. A duet between Williams and his lover Nicole Appleton (Raechelle Banno) evokes Astaire and Rogers.
The film embodies Williams’ irreverent spirit, as if a drama starring a monkey could ever be reverent. In his narration, Williams is self-deprecating, and some of the dance numbers blatantly injure pedestrians in their choreography.
The new arrangements of Williams’ songs add dimensions to his hits.
Better Man is bold cinema. Boldness is worth celebrating, but the fact that it works is a miracle.