Who is Robbie Williams? A pop idol. A recovering addict. An egomaniac.

Why is Robbie Williams these things? Because he wanted to impress his father. A narcissist who abandoned his family to pursue a singing career.

Why does Better Man depict Robbie Williams as a CGI chimpanzee? To stand out in a sea of tropey artist biopics. To grab the attention of U.S. audiences who never embraced Williams.

Why didn’t it work? Because the story is still too familiar.

Williams was recruited at age 16 for the boy band “Take That.” Their manager, Nigel Martin Smith (played by a sour Damon Herriman), had them tour gay clubs in skimpy outfits for 18 months. Once they crossed over to straight audiences they became chart topping stars. Their rise to fame provides the film’s strongest sequence. The boys run wild through Regent Street, rapidly changing outfits, while belting the catchy “Rock DJ.” If you’ve never heard a Robbie Williams song before, this one may make the strongest impression.

Williams had quickly achieved the fame he desired. But stress and undiagnosed mental illness led him to abuse drugs and alcohol. His temper tantrums get him kicked out of the band. Drug induced meltdowns and domestic strife ensue. We’ve seen all this before. Particularly in 2019’s Rocketman. Several scenes here repeat moments of Elton John’s biopic beat for beat. Robbie’s father (a jolly Steve Pemberton) becomes an audience stand in for those who grow tired of the pity party. It’s up to the musical numbers, creatively staged by director Michael Gracey and crew, to pick the film back up.

Better Man is a competently made film with some moments of brilliance. The chimpanzee gimmick never really pays off. Williams claims he felt like a “performing monkey” on stage. But monkeys aren’t chimps and he doesn’t transform into a human when he leaves the theatre. He never acts like an ape and no one acknowledges his ape form. I grew to overlook it as the story progressed. Would the film have sold better if Jonno Davies, the handsome actor under the CGI, had shown his face? Probably not. But he gives a strong physical and vocal performance that deserves attention.

You can find more of my reviews at The Avocado,  Letterboxd and Serializd. My podcast, Rainbow Colored Glasses, can be found here.