Set to entertain audiences from December, Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time; you can read our full review here.
Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), the film is uniquely told from Robbie’s perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit. It follows Robbie’s 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.
Oh, and he’s portrayed as a chimpanzee.
Talking to Michael and on-screen motion capture actor Jonno Davies, there was no monkey business when Peter Gray spoke to the duo about the complexities of telling Robbie’s story in such a manner, how surprised they were by his vulnerability, and what catalogue song they hold dearest to themselves.
I caught Better Man at Toronto this year. It was awesome being amongst American audiences who, weird as it is to think, may not see Robbie Williams as big a deal as he is in the UK and Australia. It was so nice to see everyone get behind it.
Michael Gracey: That was a real moment. It’s funny, that was a good screening to be at, actually, because it was the third time Rob had watched it, and it was a really special screening, because it was the first time Rob, myself and Jonno had watched it together. Rob sat to my left and Jonno on the other side of him, and in the moments of either sheer brilliance on Jonno’s part or absolutely crushing emotion, Rob would just reach over and put his hand on Jonno’s knee, sort of like, “Thanks mate.”
But, afterwards, (and) Rob is a showman, so when we got up on stage and he was being emotional, I thought he was just sort of putting it on. And he looked over to me, like, “I’m not putting this on. I’m about to burst into tears. I can’t go on,” and he really couldn’t speak. It was really interesting, because he had a hard time speaking, and you usually can’t get him to shut up. I’ve never seen him like that before. Working on the film with him, I’ve known him for years, but that was a real moment. So it was a good screening to be in.
I was going to say, obviously working so closely with him, was there anything that was ever off limits? I was surprised at just how vulnerable he was in talking about his addiction and his relationship with Nicole (Appleton) from All Saints. Was there anything that even he thought couldn’t be out there in the world?
Michael Gracey: He was absolutely unfiltered. He told us that we couldn’t tell the Nicole part of the story unless we got her permission. Everything was fair game on him, which in itself is incredible, because I don’t know another person on the planet who’d allow themselves to be shown as unfavourably as Robbie is in this film. So, we could show him in that light, but he was very protective of the Nicole stuff, and he just told us we’d have to go and speak to her and make sure she’s okay with it. And if she wasn’t, then we weren’t telling that. Fortunately, Nicole was on board. She read the script and looked at the dance rehearsals, because a lot of that narrative and those darker moments are shown in choreography, and she was amazing. She was just so on board and willing and generous. I completely fell in love with Nicole Appleton.
Robbie Williams, beloved figure that he is. Jonno, it’s rare to play someone in a biopic of any nature, but someone that’s still alive. Did you feel any pressure in that? And were there specific aspects of his personality or his career that you found the most challenging or rewarding to capture?
Jonno Davies: Yeah, it did feel like a big challenge. Like you said, playing someone that’s real, but also someone that’s so widely known in so many parts of the world that people have this predetermined opinion of, whether it’s good or bad. So we kind of just collectively took that on as a challenge. We’re doing an interpretation (of Robbie Williams) instead, and the device of the monkey helps strip away people’s previous thoughts and provides you with a whole new narrative. So that did relieve some of the pressure. I wanted to make sure there were some idiosyncrasies that were in there. Little physical nods that people would be able to recognise that knew him. But in terms of capturing him? It was more about the energy and the essence of Rob (rather) than the direct likeness. I think, sometimes as audience members, when you watch biopics you spend too much time deciding whether or not you believe that actor is the person, We wanted to take away that distraction for the audience and really focus on the story.
What I really wanted to focus on was providing a voice for a side of Rob that the world hadn’t seen. It’s this vulnerable man, this person that lives in fear of himself and not being enough. I think that’s the version that a lot of us can tap into. I think it’s really important to bridge the gap between the audience and Rob, but also the idea of celebrity (and) not alienating someone just because they’re famous. Not just saying “Get up on stage. Take your happy pill and you’ll be fine.” It was making sure we saw that pain in him as well. So that’s what we wanted to focus on.
Speaking of fans. How do you both ensure that there’s the appeal to Robbie’s fan base, but also the broader audience you want to bring in? I’m someone who grew up on Robbie Williams. So how is it finding that balance of making the fans happy, as well as the general audience?
Jonno Davies: I mean, music is such a brilliant tool for that, right? We have a set list of 10 songs that Robbie fans get in a whole new context. This whole discography is given a new life, which is like getting new music, right? So, it’s a brilliant story for them, and then also just brilliant bangers for a whole new group of people that get to experience Robbie’s music for the first with this incredible narrative. I think it covers all bases.
Did you find, Michael, that your musical experience with The Greatest Showman influenced your approach to this film in an way?
Michael Gracey: Yeah, massively. I think, like all directors, when you make your first film and you have your list of lessons that you think, “Oh, if only I get my chance to do this all over again, I would do this, I would do that, and I wouldn’t do this. And that’s what (Better Man) was. It was lessons learned on The Greatest Showman, which was amazing. It was an amazing film to get to make as my first film. Just the cast and the people that came together on it. We got to write those songs. It was an incredible experience. And, like Jonno said, this is different, because we’re dealing with songs that we already know are hit songs. But American audiences are hearing them for the first time, and that’s like watching The Greatest Showman because they’re hearing these (songs) for the first time. And the only context they know of these songs is what’s being presented in the film.
I have to say the “Rock DJ” sequence is, hands down, one of the absolute best set pieces I think I’ve seen on film in general. The energy was insane! For the both of you, was there one musical number that proved the most challenging? I understand that Regent Street wasn’t as accessible as you wanted…
Michael Gracey: Regent Street was a logistical disaster. It was a very difficult shoot to plan. We have very limited time each night. Over four nights to pull that number off, we have to rehearse in this big hanger that we taped out. Every bus stop. Every doorway. And we have 500 dancers. We had a double-decker bus. We had taxis all in there rehearsing, so that when we went to Regent Street (to film) we could just start shooting. Problem is, at the end of that week, the Queen passed away and we were unable to shoot. We lost all that money. (And) it’s an independent film, so it’s not like you have a studio that writes you a cheque. You basically go out and raise that money again.
Obviously, there were investors and producers who are saying that we didn’t need the number. “It’s just one number. Cut it.” And we were like, “We’re not cutting the number. It’s a key moment in the entire film, and it’s the only moment that Rob is experiencing real joy.” Every other moment in the film he’s hearing voices in his head, or seeing those versions of himself. (“Rock DJ”) is the absolute pinnacle moment of joy, and we need to give an injection of that before we spiral into darkness. Fortunately, we were able to raise the money and get back on Regent Street, but it took five months. It delayed the delivery of the film, and the domino effects of that, of the Queen’s death, and what it meant to this production are still being felt to this day. But I will always watch that number and think it was worthwhile.
Jonno Davies: In terms of challenging musical numbers. It’s “The Land of 1000 Dances” montage, which kind of affects Robbie’s rise to solo fame. It’s all the stuff you see with the crowd, with the dancers, and the Tom Jones (moment) quite early on in the shooting process. And apart from the Tom Jones sequence, where we were really trying to match what Robbie did on stage at The Brit Awards, (everything) else was a free for all, in terms of choreography. It was going out there and entertaining the crowd as Robbie, and look at that point or get spooked out by a demon at this point. But, apart from that, it was going out and putting on a show, which was amazing at first. I wanted to be a pop star when I was younger, so I got to kind to live out that dream. We had this really engaging crowd that were giving it back, energy after energy. But then you start doing take number nine, and take 15, and take 21, and you start thinking, “Oh, it’s me. I’m clearly the reason, right? I’m crap.” I started to understand Robbie’s mindset a little bit, because, for a while, I didn’t understand how he couldn’t enjoy (this career). It was ecstasy to me. And then I started to get it, and I started to understand the fear that comes with that. He’s out there to entertain. If he doesn’t feel like he’s doing the job, he feels like the world’s going to swallow him up whole.
I started to get that as well. Add that in with the weird distribution of weight with the camera hanging off your head, and this grey (motion capture suit) just turning darker and darker through the sweat? Yeah, that was a real challenging moment. But it was the most enlightening one, because it really helped me understand Rob’s brain when you’re running on fumes and the adrenaline’s just completely gone out the window, yet you can’t let the audience know for a second that you’re suffering. As soon as you do, the illusion is broken. That was a real moment for me to understand his mindset.
Was there ever a version of this film that was never about depicting Robbie as a monkey?
Michael Gracey: I mean, the monkey of it was the only reason. We wanted to explore the nature of Robbie’s internal life, as much as his external life. If you have a musical, there’s already a certain heightened reality (there). A certain theatricality you can play with, because we don’t walk down the street and just burst into song. So, you have a monkey on top of that, and you’re in an even more theatrical, heightened space, and that then allows you to traverse both an interior and exterior world in a way that isn’t jarring. It’s quite seamless. You’re not quite sure when he’s driving down the road at which point you’re going into this head. When the flares come up on the road and the whole world starts turning red? Is it when he goes past the bus and sees his dad from his childhood? Obviously, once you hit a wall of water and you’re then underwater you’re definitely in the world of fantasy. But the path there is quite a fluid one, and that is kind of, at least the conversations I’ve had with Rob in terms of his mental health issues, it’s constant and very present and very much a part of his ever day. And to what degree were we allowed to show how that impacted on moments of grief and moments of doubt?
I just think without the monkey none of that would have played as seamlessly. I think it would have felt a little forced. Whereas, because we’ve already contracted with the audience at the very beginning that you’re in a heightened reality (and) we’re asking you to suspend your disbelief and buy into this character and this world wholeheartedly. If you do that, you will forget about the monkey and you’ll easily be able to taken along for that ride in Rob’s external life, as much as his internal life.
And regarding Robbie’s music. We all have our favourite song, but are there any deep cuts that you think more people need to know about?
Jonno Davies: For now, I just can’t think of Robbie without thinking of “Come Undone”. Big song in the UK. I assume it was over here? But I think it’s a bit of a timeless ballad, really. There’s so much pain and it’s such a good entry of someone’s diary. It’s so personal, and I think when you add it with the context of our film as well, it just runs so deep.
Michael Gracey: Yeah, I agree. I think “Come Undone” in the new context that it’s been given in that moment in time. Also, “Better Man”, Jacob Collier did the vocal arrangement under (the song), and it’s him on the piano. I think “Better Man”, both lyrically and musically, packs such a punch for me as well.
Better Man is screening in Australian theatres from Boxing Day, December 26th, 2024.
