Better Man, a good way to start the year

The audience already knows how musicians biopics go: a common but extremely talented man (or group) emerges from the bottom to climb to the highest peak of fame; eventually, fall but only to rise again as a new person. We've already seen it in films like Bohemian Rhapsody, Straight Outta Compton, Rocketman, Elvis, Walk the Line, Ray or The Runaways. If they weren’t based on somebody’s real life, these movies would be hyper-melodramatic and would struggle to be more inspirational than cheesy. Even fictional stories like Dreamgirls and A Star Is Born follow the known timeline of all of those stars and end up being equally successful. Nevertheless, last year we saw how Back to Black and Bob Marley were destroyed. We could ask why it seams that almost every musician has the same story, but maybe a more interesting question is: what does a biopic need to be interesting among the rest and actually work? Well, the answer might be in Better Man

This is the almost true story of Pop singer and songwriter Robbie Williams; from his childhood, to his time on the boyband Take That and his career as a solo artist.

Let's begin with the most evident element. Williams is portrayed as a CGI monkey. This decision was made by Robbie Williams himself; according to him, he always felt “less evolved”. Although, this choice might have other reasons. As told before, most of the biopics plots are similar to each other and this people know it; therefore, having something very particular as this, is enough to differentiate and, considering that his music hasn't been as popular internationally as in the U.K., is eccentric enough to call the non-British public's attention. Also, speaking strictly about the portrayal, this protagonist isn’t the most empathetic or likeable pop star; it's easier to like a hyperrealistic monkey than a real person playing Robbie Williams. All thanks to the amazing job by the motion capture actor and the visual effects artists.

Speaking of the acting, this films depend a lot on its actors' acting skills. Robbie Williams is an insecure character with impostor syndrome and depression. There are great moments of actors directing. We see Robbie going through many emotions in one scene and being as expressive with his movements as well. Normally, the motion capture generated characters involve a big part of the budget because of the detail attention it demands, especially when there’s too many movements and some complex textures like fur. Hiring Wētā FX for the VFX was a great choice after all what they have done with The Planet of the Apes.

Another great decision was made by Michael Gracey when he decided to direct again after many years since The Greatest Showman. Both films are surprisingly similar: a musical about a man who becomes successful but loses his way and gets it back after hitting rock bottom. Leaving aside the fact this director should try to find a different kind of story to work with (because he also produced Rocketman), the truth is he already has a style of his own. In every musical number, there’s an amazing display of choreographies, camera direction, editing and cinematography; making it feel like a stage with strong and saturated lights.

Maybe if this film had relied more on itself and the subtleties, it could have been better. In order to show Robbie's insecurities, the movie uses the resource of “seeing ghosts”, even though the acting already does that job even better. There's an interesting scene with those “ghosts” that works and looks good but is also too exaggerated. Finally, the end (just like some other biopics) feels a little rushed and its conclusion, although it is very well directed and emotional, doesn’t feel coherent with the rest of the story.

Better Man is far from being the best biopic in the U.K. or in general; it is also far from being the best musical of this decade. Regardless, considering how bad the 2024 was for movie musicals and biopics, this might be what the genre needed. It's just a funny, well-directed, and emotionally effective musical about the not-so-real life of a star, but with a great original idea for its execution. Exactly what a musical fan would look for to start this new year. Probably, that's what every new biopic should aim to. Now, the new question is: who is going to be the next artist to have his own biopic?