Better Man (2024)

As music biopics go, there are very few that truly live up to the hype. 2005's 'Walk The Line' is probably the best and most compelling of the bunch. The reason, you could argue, is because of the nature of Johnny Cash's life and the depth of his music. Although, in most cases, this doesn't really help because many of these efforts are documenting people with equally interesting upbringings and falling far short. Is it because a fictional re-telling never lives up to real life? Or is it simply a question of film-making prowess? Who knows. 

Regardless, the latest entry into this genre is a film about perennial basket-case, Robbie Williams, and it's about as bad as it gets. 

I once received a wonderful piece of life-advice from a source that shall remain unnamed. That piece of advice was simply "Do not try to be interesting. Focus instead on being interested." To my admittedly feeble mind, this is a masterful concept to consider, and certainly one that has eluded Robbie Williams for seemingly his entire 51 years on planet earth. If further evidence is needed, please refer to exhibit A: this film. 

First of all, the lead character - Robbie himself, of course - is played by a monkey. Is this a play on being a 'performing monkey' for the corporate shills who control his life? Are his fans responsible for his feelings of 'performing monkey' ness? The answer is never made clear. There is one reference in the entire film where Williams simply says "I want you to see how I see myself". No further context is added. Deep? Possibly. But not when you consider what then transpires for the next TWO AND A HALF HOURS. 

There are problems almost from the outset that, once noticed, are hard to escape. Firstly, he makes it quite clear that anyone who lives what he considers to be a 'normal' existence - you know, raising a family, working hard, humbly going about their business and enjoying life's simpler pleasures - is, and I quote, a "nobody". This is a quite poisonous point of view from the mind of what seems to be toxic narcissist, but is not displayed as such. Instead we're supposed to go "You're right Robbie, you ARE better than everyone else. Go you!" Not a thought is given for people who don't have a bottomless gaping pit in the fibre of their being that needs to be filled with constant adulation and one could argue that this is a quite damaging message to be pumping into the world, especially in the very self-centered age we currently find our youth immersed in, but...wait, the monkey is dancing. Yaaaaay. 

From his humble beginnings surrounded by 'nobodies' in Stoke-on-Trent we are then walked through Robbie's life as a young popstar (in what was the biggest UK band of the early 90s - Take That). Again there isn't a shred of humilty on display and essentially we are shown an interesting glimpse into the sort of behaviour that occurs when a narcissist has to take anything other than the front seat. He is an obnoxious, uncooperative, little sort who is constantly making efforts to undermine everything the band does. Now, a more mature mind might recognise this behaviour as result of making a poor choice in the first place - i.e. putting yourself in a band whose music you hate because it affords you the opportunity to get the one thing you truly covet above all else: fame - and being grown up enough to say 'you know what, this isn't for me. I think I'll bow out gracefully and pursue something more meaningful.' But no, everything is everyone else's fault and victim mode is relentlessly activated. This is what is known in psychological teachings as 'avoiding responsibility'. 

To his eternal credit, once Williams is kicked out of the band he seems to resent to his core, he takes a stab at a solo career and things remarkably go stratospheric - far outshining the achievements of his old band-mates. However, rather than continuing through life with the satisfaction that a successful connection with meaningful work might offer, he instead allows himself to look back from his passing mercedes and yell "I'm better than you, ner ner ne ner ner" at all the peasants who ever doubted him. Are we supposed to feel happy that this human black hole of need is now doing well? It's unclear. What is clear is that even this newfound success doesn't fill the void for old Williams. He's still the victim. All of the time. For example, he spends an unhealthy amount of time discussing a very minor feud with band-of-the-moment-and-all-time-great-musicians, Oasis. From their interactions, it is clear that we are supposed to think that the Gallagher brothers are not only physically repulsive (compared to Robbie - again a quite poisonous message to be peddling to the youth) but also nasty people, because they don't fall at the feet of poor old Rob. Let's turn this argument on it's head for a moment though. For one, I don't see either Liam or Noel executive producing and narrating a TWO AND A HALF HOUR film about their life wherein the overarching message is 'I'm amazing aren't I?' and secondly I don't see either of them, now also in their fifties, calling another human being 'ugly'. Yet the narrative in this film is the opposite. It is, once again,  go Robbie go! 

Really what it all boils down to is a quite terrifying insight into the mind of someone who is completely self-involved. They are never really at fault and thus take no responsibility for anything. Ever. Even when they 'apologize' (as Williams does to Take That's Gary Barlow), it's part of a narrative arc of their own redemption rather than a sincere attempt at self-reflection. Everyone else is to blame, and Robbie is above all criticism because he is being 'open' about his feelings. However, just because you loudly say you struggle with yourself doesn't give you the right to continually belittle others, bemoan your surroundings, and blame everyone you come in contact with for your life - which is your responsibility. His poor wife and children don't get a look in, instead we delve deeply into his relationship with former All-Saint Nicole Appleton. I suspect this is because she is somewhat famous and therefore much more interesting to talk about than his silly, non-famous, nobody wife and his nobody children. 

That's the most frustrating thing about this film. It so desperately wants you to think that this is an honest exposé of a man searching for his place in the world, despite seemingly having everything. But what it ends up saying is that if you simply play the Royal Albert Hall, your dreadful behaviour will be fully justified and all, ultimately, will be well. The emphasis, therefore, is still on finding happiness in the external. Even the existence of this film in and of itself serves that message. Because it's not enough that he's adored by millions, has sold millions of records and lived out his wildest dreams, we still have to suffer this film telling us about it all. 

All of which makes for TWO AND A HALF HOURS of a vanity project for a man who, you get the impression, nothing will ever be enough. And the saddest part is that Robbie Williams the artist actually has a lot of great pop music for the world to enjoy. Yet we are unable to because Robbie Williams the boy is constantly yelling over the top of it "Do you like it?! It's really good isn't it?! Oh you think it's rubbish?! You've made me sad. I'm going to cry now.". The entire film, instead of feeling like a triumph, leaves you with the feeling that you've just attended a 5-year old's birthday party and he's put on one of his shows. You just want to tell him to calm down, he's had too much Ribena, and to let the music do the talking. If the music is good enough, which it might well be, the people will write the history for you. 

In other words, stop trying to be interesting. Just be interested. The rest will follow. 

☆☆☆☆☆

JB.