Heading into the musical biopic Better Man, I’ll admit that I knew very little – OK, actually nothing – about the movie’s subject, Robbie WIlliams. Shame on me, then, because as I researched the pop sensation ahead of interviews we planned to have for the movie, I realized just how impressive Williams’ career had been. He joined a massively successful boy band named Take That in 1990, left them (and returned) multiple times to explore a solo career, carried multiplied albums to the top of the British charts, and set a Guinness Book of World Records when he sold 1.6 million tickets in a single day back in 2006. Incredible. All of this is covered in Better Man, though it might have turned some mainstream audiences off because instead of Williams in the lead role, they saw a chimpanzee.
I’d agree with the assessment that musical biopics need to do something to stand apart from the crowd. This is why I prefer the experimental Elton John film Rocketman over the staid Oscar winner Bohemian Rhapsody. The latter was paint by numbers, and the former colored outside of the lines. Better Man absolutely thinks outside of the realm of the traditional biopic formula. The lead character is a chimpanzee – played by the actor Johnno Davies – but he does all of the bad-boy pop things Robbie Williams did during his career. Drinking. Drugs. Sex. Lots of sex. So, when I got the chance to interview Williams and his director, Michael Gracey of The Greatest Showman fame, I asked them about the challenges of the chimp sex scenes, specifically one where the chimp gets a handjob in a nightclub.
Robbie Williams, needless to say, was delighted. He told CinemaBlend:
Do you know what? I was going to make a joke about what I thought you actually meant. But then you went to my joke. God bless you. Thank you.
You are better served going into Better Man not taking the whole thing seriously. Robbie Williams certainly is looking for the humor in every situation. Sometimes, it gets him in trouble with authorities. Like when he flipped off the television cameras during the live opening ceremonies of the World Cup back in 2018. Maybe don’t hire Williams if you don’t want him to behave like Williams?
As they talked about the preparation needed to get the accurate chimpanzee orgasm face for Better Man, Williams and Gracey told CinemaBlend:
GRACEY: So good. Great question. And the first time I've been asked that. We did a lot of reference with Johnno. And fortunately, Johnno wasn't uncomfortable going to those places. WILLIAMS: And also, you know, there's the unfortunate incident of the video that exists out of me there knocking one out. So, you know, you could … there isn't. I'm only joking. But I'd knocked one out for you in the room. That's what I do.
Knowing that we can’t take anything Williams says seriously, I put the question to Better Man star Johnno Davies, as well. And he jokingly told CinemaBlend:
I cannot tell you how many different versions there has been of that thing. (laughs) I had to do it at my home, with my wife listening in the next room, and my child going, ‘What the hell is dad doing right now?’ We really went through a plethora of options.
I’ll tell you this much. I didn’t expect to see a chimpanzee orgasm face in Better Man. But it’s only the tip of the iceberg, as there also are fantastic musical numbers, some heartfelt musician trauma, and a ton of ribald humor. The movie has gotten off to a slow start at the box office, but it’s my hope that positive word of mouth generates interest, and people give this one a shot when they consider the upcoming 2025 movies they want to see in the theaters.
