Opening 2 Jan 2025
Directed by:
Michael Gracey
Writing credits:
Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey
Principal actors:
Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvany
“You’re either born with it, or you’re a nothing.” Indubitably born with it… Robert Williams just needed time to figure that out for himself. His gran knew, “Whatever ‘it’ is you’ve got more than your share.” Williams is frank about his fame, his pain, his shame, his blame until he, soberly, took charge of himself and started by making amends with those nearest and dearest. Australian Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman, 2017), writer-director and visual effects artist extraordinaire, has written and directed a film which is audacious, beguiling, humble, yet spirited. Plus, it is raucous good fun and pulsating great music. As the biopic takes off, Williams quips he grew up feeling “less evolved,” thus his transmogrification into a chimpanzee boy-cum-man.
Born a little guy Robert (Jonno Davies [using motion capture]), a scrapper with contemporaries, spends lots of time with Gran Betty (Alison Steadman)—Mom’s (Kate Mulvany) job takes her away—and he idolizes Dad (Steve Pemberton), especially their singing in front of the telly. He hides his nervousness by being cocky, brash; participating in school plays fuels Robert’s aspirations for fame. Life takes an unexpected turn and the three downsize. Robert is only fifteen when life, with a wink, changes in ways he neither believed possible nor is ready to deal with. Band manager Nigel Martin-Smith (Damon Herriman) adds Robbie—changing his name—to the pop band Take That. As its youngest member with Gary Barlow (Jake Simmance), Howard Donald (Liam Head), Mark Owen (Jesse Hyde), and Jason Orange (Chase Vollenweider) Robbie is put through his paces. And wants more. Even the “sexy, serious Masked Lady” (Raechelle Banno) is unable to control Robbie. His personal nemeses’ pepper audiences glaring accusingly, taunting his sanity. Rocketing to success he then plunges into drugs, drink, depression; Williams’ resurgence is as much a miracle as remarkable, and history-making.
Producer Paul Currie shared insights into the making of this cinematic marvel. “We wanted to make a film with edge and honesty,” he said. After the initial double-take seeing the chimpanzee faced boy and thanks to Davies’s naturalness together with Steadman and Pemberton’s performances, Gracey’s creative vision accompanied by Williams’s wry wit electrifyingly explodes onscreen. Erik Wilson’s eclectic, electric, throbbingly provocative camerawork takes on its unique shape through Martin Connor, Jeff Groth, Lee Smith, and Spencer Susser’s editing. The numerous special effects specialists’ outstanding work is jaw-dropping. Perhaps because of humans innate compassion for animals, or maybe it is the awe-inspiring, emotive capriciousness and daring interpretations of the troubled Robbie, and/or because of Gracey and William’s longtime friendship, Better Man is relatable to people on so many levels, as well as being highly entertaining and invigorating. (Marinell Haegelin)
