Robbie Williams’ Better Man earns rave reviews as critics laud ‘utterly inspired’ choice to portray singer as a chimp and declare film is ‘pure monkey magic’ that leaves other musical biopics ‘in the dust’

Robbie Williams’ musical biopic Better Man received rave reviews from critics, who praised the film as ‘riveting’, ‘bombastic’ and ‘utterly inspired’.

The semi-biographical film follows the singer’s meteoric rise as a member of Take That and subsequent dramatic fall, as he battled his personal demons and the challenges that success can bring.

But in a twist on the genre, the film portrays the 50-year-old pop star as a chimpanzee while everyone else appears in human form, with Jonno Davies recreating the movements via motion capture technology and Robbie doing most of the voice work.

And while critics labeled the decision a “big risk” and possibly “stupid gamble,” they declared it ultimately a genius choice and “one of the most inspired casting pieces of the year.”

While they also praised director Michael Gracey for creating the right balance of fun choreographed musical numbers with deep emotional scenes, saying the film performs best when it delves into Robbie’s vulnerability.

In his four-star review for Roger Egbert.comClint Worthington said the chimpanzee gimmick was a “smart move” that allowed Robbie to “vulnerably share his lows while underplaying the pageantry of his highs.”

The semi-biographical film follows the singer’s meteoric rise as a member of Take That and subsequent dramatic fall, as he battled his personal demons and the challenges that success can bring (depicted in film)

He added, “You won’t see another music biopic quite like ‘Better Man,’ regardless of your level of familiarity with the subject matter. There’s an excess of charm here that helps sell the nonsensical gimmick.’

While The TelegraphRobbie Collin agreed, also giving the film four stars and stating: “The Take That singer’s decision to tell his life story through a CGI chimpanzee may seem stupid – but it’s utterly inspired.”

He said it was “pure monkey magic” and praised Jonno for giving “the best performance of this type since Andy Serkis’ Gollum in The Lord of the Rings”, writing: “The physical integration is seamless; the emotional fine details compellingly subtle and present.’

And in another four-star review: EmpireAlex Godfrey said the risk was worth it because it “elevates everything we see on screen, making it all both better and somehow more relatable.”

Alex wrote that the idea of ​​the monkey makes us even more sympathetic to Robbie’s story, saying, “The conceit works wonders: the little animalistic physical touches make him feel so much like an animal that we care for him significantly more than if he would be. a human lookalike.’

While the four-star review in the Financial times echoed his thoughts, with Danny Leigh saying: ‘the animal magic is a masterstroke, putting a surreal twist on what would otherwise be simply grim, and capturing a certain sad, strange truth about the subject.’

However, The GuardianPeter Bradshaw, in his three-star review, had a very different view of the chimpanzee twist, saying that “the ironizing and surreal effect diminishes throughout the film.”

He expressed his disagreement with the other critics, saying: ‘The film is interestingly candid about the toxic, driving force of jealousy behind a musical career – but ultimately, as startling and funny as it is, Robbie-as-chimpanzee feels like a distraction. of his all-too-human misfortune and talent.’

But in a twist on the genre, the film depicts the pop star, 50, as a chimpanzee while everyone else is in human form, with Jonno Davies recreating the movements via motion capture technology and Robbie doing most of the voice work.

While they also praised director Michael Gracey for creating the right balance between fun choreographed musical numbers with deep emotional scenes and said the film performs best when delving into Robbie’s vulnerability (pictured at the Paris premiere this month)

But in Kristy Puchko’s review about Mashableshe said that seeing Robbie as a literal animal “brings a fresh perspective and a compelling mix of humor and vulnerability” that made Better Man “the best music biopic since the electrifying brilliance of Elton John’s Rocketman.”

She added that the film is also backed by “a great supporting cast” and praised the film as “riveting” because “it embraces a warts-and-all approach that doesn’t shy away from Williams’ darkest moments.”

And Time-outKaleem Aftab couldn’t agree more, giving the “a fun, bombastic, brilliantly choreographed and totally captivating film” the highest marks of five stars.

While also stating that it surpassed other films of the genre, he wrote, “When it comes to musical biopics, William’s perhaps stands at the forefront.”

“Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody are just two of the acclaimed films that Better Man left in the dust.”

The official synopsis for Robbie’s new film reads: ‘Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall and remarkable revival of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time.

“Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”), the film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature humor and indomitable spirit.

‘It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to the youngest member of hit boy band Take That, to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – while facing the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.’

Robbie Collin of The Telegraph said it was “pure monkey magic” and praised Jonno for giving “the best performance of this type since Andy Serkis’ Gollum in The Lord of the Rings”

Robbie previously addressed the bizarre choice to portray himself as a chimpanzee on The Graham Norton Show in an episode airing on New Year’s Eve.

He explained, “There had to be a creative difference because the biopic genre has gotten a little long and a little tired, so we needed a unique selling point.

‘When I heard that everyone else in the film would be a human and I would be a monkey, I thought, “Yes! This is an eccentric idea, it’s a huge swing, I can see it straight away, it’s incredible.” It wasn’t until I told my wife that I realized it could be controversial.’

After being asked if he enjoyed watching it, he said: ‘It starts with a cheeky chappie and after 45 minutes it’s like Trainspotting – it’s like the greatest hit of trauma and grief, so yeah, it’s a a bit confrontational, a bit triggering.’