Better Man

Directed by Michael Gracey, Better Man follows Robbie Williams as he overcomes his troubled adolescence to become a famous, successful performer. It’s standard music-biopic material that’s thrown a fairly significant curveball in the form of its lead character, as Williams himself is portrayed, from start to finish, as an impressively-convincing, computer-generated chimp – with the oddball choice initially preventing the viewer from wholeheartedly embracing the familiar narrative. There’s little doubt, however, that Better Man becomes more and more compelling as it unfolds, particularly once its subject embarks on his singing career, and it’s clear, too, that the periodic inclusion of larger-than-life musical numbers elevates one’s interest on an ongoing basis – with, especially, the energetic, showstopping “Rock DJ” sequence standing as an obvious highlight within the entire proceedings. It’s fairly disappointing to note, then, that Better Man segues into an erratic second half focused on Williams’ predictable downfall, with the protracted, fairly dull nature of this stretch wreaking havoc on the picture’s momentum and leading one to wish that it had been condensed into a single montage. The picture does, at least, recover for a satisfying, moving third act, which does, in the end, cement Better Man‘s place as a decent true-life tale that will undoubtedly fare best among Williams’ fans and followers.

*** out of ****