Since its initial debut at the Telluride Film Festival, reviews have been trickling in for Better Man, the musical biopic of British superstar Robbie Williams. Following a limited release in December, audiences can now see the movie nationwide as it comes to more theaters.
Under the direction of The Greatest Showman’s Michael Gracey, the film is told from Robbie’s perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit. It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.
In the film, Williams is depicted as a monkey version of the musician. Jonno Davies performs the motion capture and voice, with Williams and Adam Tucker also lending their voices to the character. The movie also stars Steve Pemberton, Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno, Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvaney, Frazer Hadfield, Tom Budge, and Anthony Hayes.
In addition to directing, Gracey wrote the screenplay with Oliver Cole and Simon Gleeson. Find out what critics think of the music-filled movie below!
Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter: “As you might expect from the helmer of The Greatest Showman, several of the musical sequences are exhilarating, even with a monkey at the microphone. Gracey and choreographer Ashley Wallen bring the dance sequences to life in a riot of color and movement. As he demonstrated in Showman, the director has a gift for putting large numbers of bodies in motion and exciting the audience.”
Pete Hammond, Deadline: “A production on this scale requires top notch crafts mavens and Gracey has them, including superb cinematography from Erik A. Wilson, dazzling Production Design by Joel Chang, and colorful costumes from Cappi Ireland. The aforementioned tremendous Visual Effects were supervised by Luke Millar and viz effx producer Andy Taylor. Musically Better Man simply soars, and in fact this film could make Williams finally a household name in America just as he is in the UK and Europe. He himself says in the film “there is no one who does it better” and he may be right. I want the soundtrack asap.”
Peter Debruge, Variety: “Gracey takes audiences through all the expected beats of Williams’ career, from his breakthrough as a member of Take That to his record-breaking solo concert at Knebworth, but does so with a CG chimpanzee standing in for the Britpop bad boy. Against all odds, the gimmick works, distinguishing the project from so many other cookie-cutter pop-star hagiographies. If you want to fawn over this boy-band backup singer turned solo superstar for four hours, check out the “Robbie Williams” doc series on Netflix. But if you want to see a chimp doing coke with Oasis, or getting a fateful hand job in front of manager Nigel Martin Smith (Damon Herriman), this is your movie.”
David Erlich, IndieWire: “Stick it out through Williams’ long night of the soul, however, and “Better Man” rewards your patience with an ending that makes good on its gimmick, and — to a surprisingly moving degree — also on its choice of title song. Williams finds the beneficence required to share the spotlight with the one person who needs it more than he does. It might feel like a cop-out in a less vulnerable biopic, but here it’s a beautiful testament to a man who followed a familiar path in his own way, and the perfect ending to a film that does exactly the same.”
Kristy Puchko, Mashable: “This poignant use of CGI animation is also surrounded by a terrific supporting cast. Whether it’s Steve Pemberton as Williams’ conniving deadbeat dad or Alison Steadman as his devoted grandmother, the actors bring a pulsing authenticity that makes this family, broken as it is, feel achingly real. This is all the more impressive considering they were acting opposite an actor wearing all that mo-cap gear. Together, cast and crew build a glorious complex look into the life a world-class entertainer whose arrogance and vulnerability are on balanced display.”
Brian Truitt, USA Today: “‘Better Man’ isn’t perfect – as a straightforward effort, it doesn’t hold a candle to, say, “A Complete Unknown.” But it’s never boring, either. And the film is easily the most idiosyncratic of its kind, at least until that inevitable Barry Manilow biopic featuring a yeti.”
Hanna Ines Flint, IGN: “With Better Man, Michael Gracey delivers an exhilarating jukebox musical biopic that demonstrates the cinematic fireworks that can happen when craft, performance, and music harmoniously come together. The bold risk of transforming Robbie Williams into an enjoyable CGI chimp pays off both emotionally and visually. Turning his back catalogue into epic musical numbers with stunning choreography and heart-wrenching storytelling, Better Man comes out swinging and winning.”
Alex Godfrey, Empire: From start to finish, though, beats that huge heart. Gracey never forgets where he’s going, with cinematography (courtesy of Erik Wilson, who’s worked on all the Paddington films) that supports this wounded little ape, props him up, even when he’s his own worst enemy. There is great tenderness and sensitivity here. And a bleach-blond chimp in a red Adidas tracksuit. It’s a heady concoction.
Clint Worthington, RogerEbert: “You won’t see another music biopic quite like “Better Man,” regardless of your level of familiarity with its subject. There’s a surfeit of charm here that helps sell the nonsensical gimmick; Gracey moves us fast enough through the Cliff’s Notes of Williams’ life that you barely stop to process the image of a fully-dressed chimpanzee getting a handjob from a groupie in a nightclub. To say nothing of the curious sensation of welling up at a tuxedoed ape belting “My Way” as a spiritual reclamation of his own celebrity. It’s brash, in your face, and on the nose. But that’s Robbie Williams. Could a biopic of him play out any other way? C’mon. Let him entertain you.”
Wendy Ide, The Guardian: “Better Man is a notable step up for Gracey. The synthetic, rather soulless panache of The Greatest Showman demonstrated his skills as a slick visual stylist, but here he directs from the heart, tapping into the rawness and vulnerability beneath the CGI monkey suit.”
William Bibbiani, TheWrap: “‘Better Man’ takes full advantage of Gracey’s infectious musical zealotry, turning in a bravura, rapturous film with one of the best filmed and choreographed numbers of the 21st century as its centerpiece. (Or it’s one-thirderpiece. I’m not sure if a scene that plays around the 30-minute mark qualifies as the center of anything.) Williams’ music is varied enough that Gracey is able to transform his songs into graceful ballets, elaborate oners, tragic melodramas and a badass action sequence in which Williams violently murders the parts of himself that represent suicidal ideation.”
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