Anyone who has seen the trailer for Better Man, or knows the first thing about it, will know that the key talking point - the monkey in the room, if you will - is that Robbie Williams is rather unconventionally represented by a CGI chimpanzee, voiced and motion captured by Milton Keynes actor Jonno Davies.
Initially, this is odd to say the least. But after 15 minutes or so, isn't so jarring. And as the film goes on, you almost cease to notice altogether. More than this, as we begin to see Robbie as he sees himself - a primitive animal, a performing monkey. It begins to make total sense.
It is easy for the public to see pop stars and other celebrities as other-worldly, as being different to the rest of us, in a sense where we don’t feel responsible if they wander down a path of self-destruction. Some would even say it is par for the course with fame and success
Ignoring for a moment that chimpanzees aren’t actually monkeys (they are apes), Williams said in an interview with Associated press that he has identified with primates for some time, having always seen himself as a ‘cheeky monkey’.
And it is this characteristically mischievous personality that we fall in love with, as fans did when the cheeky chappie from the ‘a*se-end of the North’ (his words) first arrived on the scene as one fifth of Take That.
The crude, bordering on crass humour of the film succeeds in eliciting a smirk and a chuckle while staying just the right side of cringe-worthy, with lewd jokes and gestures aplenty showing no effort to dress Williams up as anything other than what he is.
Another reason the decision was made to portray Williams as an ape was to evoke empathy from the audience. “We care for animals more than we care for humans, most of us,” he said.
While it’s hard to say for certain whether the empathy generated is greater than it would have been were Stoke-on-Trent’s very own Icarus played by a real-life actor (I believe it is), this does raise an interesting point.
It is easy for the public to see pop stars and other celebrities as other-worldly, as being different to the rest of us, in a sense where we don’t feel responsible if they wander down a path of self-destruction. Some would even say it is par for the course with fame and success.
Better Man serves audiences a totally unique take on the biopic genre that sets it apart from the crowd, and a story equal parts in humour and tragedy that lives up to the life of one of modern music’s greatest entertainers
It is far less glamorous, however, to see a primate snorting their life away. Animals, unlike celebrities, are deemed vulnerable; we feel a responsibility to protect them. And it is clear that Williams did need protecting, as so many young stars do.
Revisiting the pop star’s well-documented troubles and tug-of-war between who he is and who the world wants him to be, our enjoyment for this cheeky little monkey’s antics gives way to a deep pity, a desire to shield him from harm.
The question now is, could we see future examples follow suit with similar expressionist takes on the genre? Might we one day see the story of Beyonce, where the protagonist is an actual bee, for example?
Elsewhere, the musical numbers in the film - all hits from Williams’ discography - are for the most part sung by the man himself and provide some memorable moments without seeming out of place. Even if Williams isn’t the star he once was, the likes of ‘Angels’ and ‘Feel’ still stand the test of time as the film shows.
Overall, Better Man serves audiences a totally unique take on the biopic genre that sets it apart from the crowd, and a story equal parts in humour and tragedy that lives up to the life of one of modern music’s greatest entertainers.