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Better Man shows us Robbie Williams as he sees himself, a CGI monkey, because he never felt like he’d fully evolved.
The film starts off in 1982, singing along to Frank Sinatra on the TV at the age of 8, with his Dad, Peter (Steve Pemberton – Inside No.9, Missing You), showing how Robbie was a natural show-off, but then this patriarch ran off and left them, as he was trying to make it big as a lounge artist in that there London.
Cue his own search for stardom, attending an audition in 1989 for Nigel Martin Smith (Damon Herriman – The Bikeriders), being signed up for Take That, albeit leading to a rocky road ahead – especially with the young man’s ego – and he doesn’t like that Smith effectively changed Williams’ first name from Robert to Robbie for his music career.
Over their brief time together, it’s obvious how Gary Barlow (Jake Simmance) was envious of Robbie’s star power, as the latter has ‘it’ with more personality than the other four put together, leading to depression, and alcohol and narcotics, leading to him even being passed out on stage, just as their show is about to get going and he’s in full view of the audience!
Oh, to recall the time when the smug Barlow was at the lowest point in his solo career and no-one was buying his records. What a shame that didn’t continue.
Despite having lived through this time, I’d forgotten about his dalliance with All Saints’ Nicole Appleton (Raechelle Banno), leading to a mutual rivalry with Oasis’ Liam Gallagher (Leo Harvey-Elledge, who also played George Harrison in Midas Man), the latter of whom snatched her away, even to the point of wanting to follow in their footsteps and headline at Knebworth, as Robbie did in 2003, after their 1996 gig.
Now, if there was ever an unevolved monkey, it’s Liam Gallagher!
Although the date of July 18th 1995 isn’t mentioned in the film, I remember that being the date when I changed jobs as it was the same date that Robbie Williams left Take That. I wonder who had the better career afterwards? (Clue: It was him).
Still, during my Little Chef years, from 1993-1995, there was a Sunday when Natalie Appleton came in with her then other-half Jonny Lee Miller. Unfortunately, this was pretty much the ONLY Sunday I ever had off in that place, and even if I’d got myself together to go down there, the chances would be that they’d have finished and left by the time I’d arrived. Even then, it was in the time before smartphones and selfies were a thing. Hence, I asked my girlfriend, who was working there at the time, that she get an autograph… She came back with her. I wanted HER autograph. Bah!
Overall, even though Better Man runs for over two hours, it still has a well-focused narrative – as he falls out with songwriter Guy Chambers (Tom Budge), as well almost everyone else – and doesn’t outstay its welcome. Still, while it does end up as a very good film, it’s not something I’d particularly want to see again.
However, for while it’s on, there’s a few great song-and-dance routines to tracks like Feel, Relight My Fire and Rock DJ, but for a film which came from the director of The Greatest Showman, I expected more of them. To be honest, I haven’t seen that 2017 movie, but by the sounds of it, it’s packed with them! Tell me if I’m wrong.
There’s an interesting line in this where Robbie Williams says that “Life freezes at the age when you become famous“, apparently a thing in the entertainment industry, and we see how he tells a career advisor he wants to be a pop star and gets laughed at. I had the same experience at 14, when I said in school that I wanted to be a record producer. Years later, I made the spoof rap track, Knickers Knickers Knickers. Feel free to endure that, above.
Better Man is in cinemas now, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD. However, once announced, it will appear on the New DVD Blu-ray 3D and 4K releases UK list.
However, you can buy the soundtrack CD.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 135 minutes
Release date: December 26th 2024
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Cinema: Cineworld Didsbury
Rating: 7.5/10
Director: Michael Gracey
Producers: Paul Currie, Jules Daly, Michael Gracey, Coco Xiaolu Ma, Craig McMahon
Screenplay: Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey
Music: Batu Sener
Cast:
Robbie Williams (voice): Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams (motion cpature): Jonno Davies
Peter: Steve Pemberton
Betty: Alison Steadman
Janet: Kate Mulvany
Nate: Frazer Hadfield
Nigel Martin Smith: Damon Herriman
Nicole Appleton: Raechelle Banno
Guy Chambers: Tom Budge
Gary Barlow: Jake Simmance
Howard Donald: Liam Head
Jason Orange: Chase Vollenweider
Mark Owen: Jesse Hyde
Chris Briggs: Anthony Hayes
Michael Parkinson: John Waters
Liam Gallagher: Leo Harvey-Elledge
Noel Gallagher: Chris Gun
Young Robbie: Carter J Murphy, Asmara Feik
Young Gary: Rafferty Gleeson
Young Nate: Leatham Blisand, Jasper Hall
Candice: Molly Gleeson
Finley: Romley Gurr
Melissa: Rose Flanagan
TV Host: Jessica Lu
Declan: Patrick Harvey
Stacey: Dailin Gabrielle
Natalie Appleton: Karina Banno
Shaznay Lewis: Sandra Githinji
Melanie Blatt: Elyssia Koulouris
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.