When “Rocketman” was released, many acclaimed the film specifically for taking a more fantastical approach to the typical musical biopic genre, blending the real-life events of Elton John’s life with musical numbers that clearly did not happen. It’s easy to see that film as a precursor to “Better Man,” as it also takes a fantastical, borderline satirical, swing on the genre while still folding in plenty of real-life events for its subject. The big twist it employs though? Well, there’s a monkey.
The film follows the life of Robbie Williams, played by Jonno Davies (“Hunters”) with Williams himself narrating the film. Raised by his mother Janet and grandmother Betty, played by Kate Mulvany (“The Merger,” “Hunters”) and Alison Steadman (“Gavin & Stacey,” “Life is Sweet”) respectively, in Stoke-on-Trent in the 1980s, Robbie struggles with his relationship with absent father Peter, played by Steve Pemberton (“Psychoville,” “The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse”), and eventually becomes a member of the boyband Take That after auditioning for manager Nigel Martin-Smith, played by Damon Herriman (“Mr. Inbetween,” “Justified”). After his outlandish behavior and drug addiction causes him to be kicked out of the band, he forms a relationship with All Saints member Nicole Appleton, played by Raechelle Banno (“Home and Away,” “Pandora”), before starting his own whirlwind solo career that culminates in a stint in rehab to gain control over his addictions and mental health issues before reconciling with his friends and family. Sounds pretty average for a music biopic film, except for the fact that Williams is portrayed as a CGI anthropomorphic monkey.
That’s the big angle for the film, and there’s never a moment where you see the "real" Robbie Williams. It is, by all accounts, the way Williams sees himself, which he himself admits at the beginning of the film. It is an admittedly bold move, and while it can come across as shallow in the trailers, it somehow works. Part of it is the fact that no one ever addresses it in any way, fueling his own vision of himself. But the other major aspect is the film in general takes such a heightened approach to the genre that it just blends into the background. Davies does both the voice of Williams in all but the final scene and the performance capture, and he embodies his brutish, youthful arrogance well, crafting a portrayal that’s easy to hate but also intoxicatingly complex.
The rest of the cast are all great, but fairly routine for these kinds of roles. Mulvany and Steadman are a great empathetic presence, with just enough sass to prevent them from becoming rote in their portrayals. Pemberton does some great work as a sleazy father for Williams, and he rides a thin line between being selfish and also wanting the best for his son, in his own twisted way. Herriman and Banno do the most with their minor roles, accenting the journey Williams is on while also carving out great character performances of their own.
While the visual effects on monkey Robbie are absolutely fantastic, as they should be given what they want to pull off, they’re surprisingly not the star of the show. Co-writer/Director Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”) stages each of the film’s musical numbers with the energy of an individual music video, but they all tie together into a unique and cohesive fantastical whole. The much publicized “Rock DJ” segment on Regent Street is a feast for the eyes and an energetic highlight of a film with plenty of highs. Gracey and co-writers Simon Gleeson (“Love Never Dies (2012)”) and Oliver Cole keep the tale flowing quickly, breezing through Williams’s life with specific detail. They never dwell on the obvious moments, instead letting the more satirical elements shine through. It mostly all comes from playing it straight with the concept, never winking at the audience despite the literal monkey they’re making of Williams’s life and career. Plenty of times that would otherwise feel cliched in other films of the genre are replaced with interpretive musical segments that seek to communicate the feeling of the moment rather than spell out the specific events as they existed.
Yes, somehow the “CGI monkey music biopic” exists, works, and works better than most other films in this genre. By playing it all straight, embracing Williams’s own admitted rudeness, and leaning into the fantastical and borderline satirical, Gracey and crew have delivered a film unlike any other this year. It’s hard to say if this is the kind of film that will garner more fans for Robbie or will be remembered alongside the greats of the genre. But it’s certainly not a film you’ll forget anytime soon. 4.5/5
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