“Hello, my name is Rob and I am an alcoholic.” This introduction, when we meet him in a Parisian hotel room, is in keeping with the inward-looking manner in which Robbie Williams has made his trademark. This provocative side is found in Better Man by Michael Gracey, biopic in which the fifty-year-old musician is represented by a computer-generated monkey to whom he lends his voice.
Robbie Williams is not angelic there, far from it. This film signed by the director of The Greatest Showman is a pleasant change from the dull biographies that have been inflicted on us for years. The sudden glory of this boy too young to be able to manage it, his descent into hell then his rebirth are shown brilliantly. The very friendly Robbie Williams did not mince his words when speaking with 20 Minutes of this excellent film which, unfortunately, experienced a disappointing and totally undeserved score when it was released in the United States.
Why did you embark on the adventure of this biopic?
I wanted to remind people that I exist. Everyone doesn’t care about albums so you have to try other things: books, documentaries, films… I am, obviously, a narcissistic and egocentric being who feels a deep need to tell everything about myself to justify my place on this planet. I had nothing more to say than in the Netflix series, but I use and abuse my need to attract attention: it’s my job.
Do you think you deserve this attention?
I used to hate myself. I thought I wasn’t entitled to good things. Now, I no longer hate myself so I no longer ask myself the question. I no longer let self-loathing dominate me. I am here. I am different. I am a monkey. Period.
-Where does this idea of being represented as a monkey come from?
It’s a fun and cheeky idea that suits me. I find the concept original. If I were a spectator, this is the kind of thing I would want to go see. Plus, as I don’t consider myself an evolved individual, the monkey suited me perfectly. The other protagonists in the film are human, which is also a way of showing that fame makes you different.
What was your experience of filming in “motion capture”?
It was great. I was put into a sort of cage with 150 cameras that recorded the way I moved. Then, three cameras filmed 120 expressions on my face. This was all placed on Jonno Davies, the actor who plays me. I also play myself in certain scenes but I no longer remember which ones because the technique is so perfect. It’s also true that Jonno has one hell of an ass and I like to imagine that mine still looks like that.
Is this film a way of telling your life story to generations who don’t know you?
In all sincerity, I don’t care about posterity. What matters to me is how people feel. This must still correspond to my devouring need to be loved but I want to give human warmth. Sometimes you forget what someone told you. You remember much more about how he made you feel.
