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Better Man Movie Review

Better Man is 2024 biographical musical film directed by Michael Gracey and starring Robbie Williams. It’s a familiar, but very well made biopic.

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“Even if it’s shit, you got to make it your shit“

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It tells the true story of the rise, fall, and resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams. First off, I was of course aware of Robbie Williams and I love his song Feel in particular. That number is just beautiful. But I was hesitant to see this movie due to my distaste for the music biopic formula and the film did succumb to those clichés in the end.

My main problem with this film is Robbie Williams himself, who to me now that I have met him in this film seems quite unlikable and egotistical. The film is this vanity project and a huge exercise in ego boost that sees the singer play the victim and talk about himself and his issues for more than two hours. Needless to say, it gets to be quite exhausting sooner rather than later.

But he managed to somewhat bypass his narcissism by choosing to be depicted as an ape (not a monkey as most critics and audiences still frustratingly fail to see the huge difference). This was a terrific choice that lent the movie the much needed authenticity and coolness factor. The VFX done on this project was the same one done on the recent Planet of the Apes movies and it shows – the ape looks fantastic, believable and very emotive.

He managed to blend in the movie with the real actors very well and he was so well performed and voiced. The other audacity that can be contributed to this picture is its energy. Michael Gracey really knows how to shoot a musical as evidenced by his bombastic and fun ‘Greatest Showman’, and here he did another stellar job as the movie is ripe with spectacle and excitement.

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Better Man truly comes alive during the musical numbers that are epic, so well executed and beautifully choreographed. The score is outstanding and the overall production and cinematography superb. I also really liked the ending that was quite moving. I just wished that the film was shorter as you can really feel its length in the middle act that is by far the weakest of the three.