Musical biopics, increasingly common in cinema, are constantly reinventing themselves. After “Piece by Piece” in November, in which Pharrell Williams appeared, like many other music stars, in the form of Lego briquettes, here this Wednesday January 22 “Better Man”, filmed biography of the British Robbie Williams, 50 years old, in which the singer insisted on appearing in the form of a monkey!
Beyond this oddity – to which the viewer surprisingly becomes accustomed very quickly – fabulously successful on a technical level, thanks to the voice-over of the artist whose features have been digitally reproduced, the film risks strongly shaking up fans of the musician, and even those who don't know him.
In what looks like a rather rare burst of sincerity, Robbie Williams tells his story without any pretense, without cheating, and by absolutely not sparing himself: this is a bio as dark as it is scathing! “Better Man” recounts the star's childhood, in a modest environment, with a father who always dreamed of being a great crooner, neglecting his son to go on tour in second-rate clubs where he performed covers. Little Robbie, very close to his grandmother, will be, all his life, suffocated to the point of agony by the shadow of this megalomaniac father, this from the end of his adolescence when he will experience phenomenal success in member of the boy band Take That in the early 1990s.
He plays the role of a seductive dancing clown and bad boy, a role which enrages him internally, because he spends his time writing lively texts, but which the group's managers do not want. Which will result in a gigantic lack of self-esteem for the singer, which he will turn against others and himself, constantly high on artificial paradises, odious with those close to him, terrible with the women in his life.
-Embracing a solo career where he will finally be able to deliver his compositions and his lyrics, the singer will multiply hits and tours, but always suffering from this chaotic vision of existence, which he will only belatedly end up getting rid of at the price of an unexpected reconciliation with his father…
Breathtaking, the film multiplies the pieces of bravery, accumulates shocking scenes and even allows a detour towards the fantastic during a fierce monkey fight in the middle of the artist's tour. Musically, the feature film sparks: breathtaking concert sequences with thousands of extras, sparkling choreographed passages to Robbie's big hits, we'll be amazed by the sights and ears. While being very touched by the authenticity of this story of an extraordinary life: fantastic!
