A better man is an upcoming Robbie Williams biopic in which he is played by… a CGI monkey?
It’s very scarce for a inventive decision to be completely and utterly surprising. Even if something is a little weird, I usually respond with, “Well, I understand why they did it.” It’s not challenging, inventive decisions can be rationalized, even if they are bad. But, dear reader, deep down, I can’t even begin to understand what the hell is going on with Better Man. Here are the basics: It’s a biopic about pop singer Robbie Williams. OK, I can deal with that part, I’m sure as someone who played in a band as huge as Take That he has some stories to tell. He’s in it too, ostensibly as the narrator, which may be ethically sketchy, but whatever. Except the fictionalized version of him is literally a CGI monkey. Ah. What?
“I know what you’re thinking,” Williams himself tells us in the trailer. “What’s with the monkey? My name is Robbie Williams. I’m one of the biggest pop stars in the world. But I always considered myself less developed.” That’s right, so that seems to be what’s causing this whole monkey situation. Is this really how you want to present yourself to the world? I mean, I assure them that the CGI is as good as the current Planet of the Apes movies in terms of quality, and yet I still can’t come to terms with it.
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The official logline explains: “Better Man” is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall and extraordinary resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest artists of all time… It charts Robbie’s journey from childhood to adulthood as the youngest chart-topping member boy band Take That, to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all while facing the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.” It sounds a bit self-congratulatory in places, but that’s what fame is all about, right?
Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”) is directing, and Jonno Davies plays the younger version of Williams. Rounding out the cast are faces that should be familiar to many Brits, including Stever Pemberton (Doctor Who, Benidorm) and Alison Steadman (Gavin & Stacey). Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the rest of the Take That guys are in there somewhere too, but I assume they won’t be monkeys either.
Better Man will premiere on December 25 in select US cinemas and on December 26 in the UK.
