MusicComedyDrama

Better Man

- Fame makes monkeys of us all.

Follow Robbie Williams' journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

Release Date : 2024-12-14

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : RocketScienceFacing East EntertainmentSina StudiosLost BanditsFootloose ProductionsVicScreenRPW ProductionsAzure CentrumPartizan Films

Production Country : AustraliaUnited KingdomUnited States of AmericaChina

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Robbie Williams (voice)

Original Name : Robbie Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Robbie Williams

Original Name : Jonno Davies

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nicole Appleton

Original Name : Raechelle Banno

Gender : Female

Character Name : Nigel Martin-Smith

Original Name : Damon Herriman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Peter Williams

Original Name : Steve Pemberton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Betty Williams

Original Name : Alison Steadman

Gender : Female

Character Name : Janet Williams

Original Name : Kate Mulvany

Gender : Female

Character Name : Nate

Original Name : Frazer Hadfield

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guy Chambers

Original Name : Tom Budge

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chris Heath

Original Name : Anthony Hayes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gary Barlow

Original Name : Jake Simmance

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mark Owen

Original Name : Jesse Hyde

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Robbie

Original Name : Carter J. Murphy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Howard Donald

Original Name : Liam Head

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jason Orange

Original Name : Chase Vollenweider

Gender : Male

Character Name : Melissa Touabti

Original Name : Rose Flanagan

Gender : Female

Character Name : Theatre Kid

Original Name : Sebastian Sero

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Robbie

Original Name : Asmara Feik

Gender : Female

Character Name : Liam Gallagher

Original Name : Leo Harvey-Elledge

Gender : Male

Character Name : Noel Gallagher

Original Name : Chris Gun

Gender : Male

Character Name : Careers Advisor

Original Name : John Lloyd Fillingham

Gender : Male

Character Name : Record Company Executive

Original Name : Dalip Sondhi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Goer

Original Name : Olivia Fildes

Gender : Female

Character Name : Rehab Therapist

Original Name : Milijana Cancar

Gender : Female

Character Name : Natalie Appleton

Original Name : Karina Banno

Gender : Female

Character Name : Shaznay Lewis

Original Name : Sandra Githinji

Gender : Male

Character Name : Melanie Blatt

Original Name : Elyssia Koulouris

Gender : Male

Character Name : All Saints Label Executive

Original Name : David Woods

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tom Jones

Original Name : Nick Nicolas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Viv Nicholson

Original Name : Michelle Brasier

Gender : Female

Character Name : Albert Hall Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Pierre Bergman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sir Michael Parkinson

Original Name : John Waters

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-12-28

There's something about the use of the monkey to characterise Robbie Williams that makes this quite a visceral watch at times. The film tells the story of the fairly turbulent rise of this "Take That" singer from boyhood exponent of Gilbert and Sullivan to a man on the right end of an £80 millions record deal. His dad (Steve Pemberton) went off to a football match whilst he was a child and never came back, and that left him with his mum "Janet" (Kate Mulvany) and adoring nan (Alison Steadman) living a pretty much hand to mouth existence and leaving him with a pretty solid foundation for his later emotional and trust issues. Unless you've lived on the moon these last twenty years, then you'll know much of what happens next. What does make this stand out a little more is the fact that Williams himself is behind the project and is in no way afraid to portray himself as a complete ass. His drink, drugs, tantrums and generally spoilt brattishness are laid bare with little, if any, attempt to sanitise. In some ways it reminded me of the recent "Amy" biopic and came hot on the heels of a recent viewing of "Easter Parade" (1948) with both serving, for completely different reasons, to augment the thrust of this story of a person who attained great stardom, success and wealth - and ultimately ended up with addictions galore and few, real, friends amidst a sea of hangers-on and parasites all too eager to selfishly cash in on the fame of a lad who started aged just fifteen. Of course it's not exactly balanced, and I'm sure the gospel according to Robbie might not be quite how others see their own behaviour (or his) but there is an honesty to this that brings home just how ruthless the music business is and at just how fickle fame can be when those we idolise lose their lustre. It doesn't do it any harm that many of his solo songs work well through big screen audio with some classy string arrangements and powerful vocals to remind us that, unlike many of the largely forgotten "Take That" singles, his music - especially the stuff he made with Guy Chambers - is the stuff we will really long remember. It's not for the faint hearted, but still well worth a watch.