Movie Breakdown: Better Man
Pre-Screening Stance:
My “pre-screening stance” here is unusual because I hadn’t seen a single frame from this movie before I experienced it as one of the secret screenings at Fantastic Fest last year. Had I managed to see the trailer before then though, I feel confident that I would have been squarely in the “yeah sure, why not” camp when gauging my interest level in it (“it,” of course, being a Robbie Williams biopic where he’s portrayed by a CG monkey).
Post-Screening Ramble:
I’ve now managed to see Better Man twice (round one was at Fantastic Fest, round two was at a press screening), so you can doubly trust me when I tell you that it’s awesome. If you’re side-eyeing this, I get it – I imagine you’re either not particularly in the know on Robbie Williams or the CG monkey is throwing you for a loop, but there’s good news on both of those fronts. First of all, you don’t really need to know anything about Robbie Williams to enjoy this musical/biopic, as director Michael Gracey isn’t trying to show you the magic behind this track or that album. In fact, there’s just about none of that – instead, this is a summary of Williams’ bananas journey and his songs (presented as needed and in no discernible chronological order) are geared towards bringing a musical-heavy bend to the bigger, more dramatic moments. It’s an unwieldy approach, especially when you consider the fever dream-like mix of it all, but the result is a vibrant, creative, funny, and heartfelt experience that is entirely immersive. This is also why the CG monkey is far less of a hurdle once the film actually gets rolling. In both of my viewings, I honestly didn’t notice it after the first 10-15 minutes, which likely sounds weird, but it really does just blend into things and works nicely as part of the kinetic ride that is the entirety of Better Man.
Do yourself a favor and take a chance on this wild, engrossing film when it theaters tomorrow, January 10.
One Last Thought:
Expect to have Rock DJ stuck in your head for 6-8 weeks after seeing this movie.
One More Last Thought:
A pre-recorded intro for this played at Fantastic Fest, and in it Robbie Williams said he wanted to be portrayed by a CG monkey because he’s always felt like a “show monkey.” Take that for whatever it’s worth.
