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The Choice of Criticism
Singer Robbie Williams’ caustic and vulnerable narration is the melody that enriches in a different way the familiar rhythms of pop stardom in this musical biopic.
By Jeannette Catsoulis
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Whatever your opinion of long-suffering British artist Robbie Williams, it’s unlikely to be more scathing than yours. And if there’s one thing that sets the electrifying musical biopic “Better Man” apart from the fact that Williams is depicted as a computer-generated ape: It would be an unwavering commitment to his subject’s self-flagellating point of view.
Selected from 18 months of audio recordings received through director Michael Gracey, Williams’ caustic and vulnerable storytelling is the melody that refreshes and enriches, in a different way, the familiar rhythms of the pop star’s collapse and resurrection. Listing decades of insults suffered — “beatable” is one of the kindest — Williams describes an arrogant, working-class boy who “came out of the womb with jazz hands” and a desperate desire to please his fame-obsessed father (a poignant Steve). . Pemberton). These two desires would lead him to teen stardom in the early 1990s as a member of the boy band Take That, followed by a hypersonic solo career supposedly sustained as much by alcohol and cocaine as by talent.
There will be more than one crash and one fire. Surprisingly, though, Williams never comes across as feeling sorry for himself. His consistently sassy voice-over, as well as the liveliness of Jonno Davies’ functionality as an adult avatar (using motion-capture magic perfected in the “Planet of the Apes” reboot) and Gracey’s sheer cinematic brio, guarantee a rarely used tone. . less than exuberant. Seamlessly blending comedy and tragedy, the film sells its simian protagonist with deadpan sincerity. It’s surprising how temporarily and gently we adopt this trick, a brilliant visualization of how Williams saw himself, as no more valuable than a prancing monkey whose favorite headdress read “Northern Scum. “
Inspired by the paintings of Bob Fosse and Terry Gilliam, the director and his choreographer Ashley Wallen design dreamlike musical sequences that go far beyond those of his polarizing first feature film, “The Greatest Showman” (2017): a flash mob that runs through London . . Regent Street to the sound of Williams’ hit “Rock DJ”, magnificently captured by Erik Wilson’s soaring, serpentine camera; a gorgeously romantic rendition of “She’s the One,” when Williams first meets his longtime fiancée, girl band singer Nicole Appleton (Raechelle Banno).
This penchant for spectacle may seem far-fetched, but “Better Man” is too tender and empathetic (especially in its oddly sweet ending) to settle for brilliance. Instead, Gracey paints a fabulously entertaining and poignant picture of a complex and insecure person. man, coming out of quicksand filled with greedy zealots, greedy entrepreneurs, unresolved addictions, and father-son dysfunction. Neither hagiography nor axe, the film offers a sympathetic look at a once-infamous musical artist who has gone through dizzying and devastating ups and downs. Think about it: is there anything worse than wasting your wife on an Oasis member?
Better ManRated R for familiar vices and unfamiliar diphthongs. Running time: 2 hours 14 minutes. In theaters.
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