Robbie Williams biopic connects even when monkeying around

There are moments in “Better Man,” the often thrilling biopic of unabashedly cheeky UK pop star Robbie Williams, where you forget you’re watching a CGI monkey in the lead role. But you are watching a CGI monkey, which is such a baffling decision that it hangs over “Better Man,” sometimes creating an emotional barrier between audience and subject, while at other times surprising with how much this digital simian — who is singing and dancing and snorting up everything in sight — is able to connect to the viewer on a base human level.

To the credit of Williams — whose brand of ultra-Britishness has, for whatever reason, never translated to US audiences — “Better Man” makes almost more sense with a monkey in the role. The story of the former boy band star (he was in Take That, which also never translated to the US, although the group’s post-Williams hit “Greatest Day” is enjoying a bit of a moment thanks to its usage in “Anora”) follows a rise-and-fall-and-rise-again storyline that has been repeated to the point of parody in the music biopic genre.

Is Williams’ story unique enough to stand out if the movie played things straight and he was portrayed by, say, Tom Holland? Maybe not. But the monkey’s not going to be forgotten, and it weirdly gives “Better Man” a much-needed edge in what is becoming a sea of musician tales on the big screen.

Kudos to director Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”) and “Better Man’s” digital effects team for creating such a lifelike character, and that wizardry extends to some of the film’s exhilarating musical sequences, including a scene where Williams — his digital stand-in is Jonno Davies — leads a dance-off in the London streets to the sounds of “Rock DJ.” Another standout scene, set to “Come Undone,” finds Williams speeding down the road in his car, attempting to flee his demons, until a head-on car crash sends him flying into a body of water.

The monkey allows “Better Man” freedom in its narrative devices, and the story is not held to the same factual standards of “A Complete Unknown” or even “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It can play fast and loose with the truth and Williams’ timeline, because what’s important is the essence of his story, and its emotional through line.

“Better Man” begins with Williams as a child, looking up to his father Peter (Steve Pemberton), an entertainer who always wanted to but never made the big time, who tells his son, “you’re either born with it, or you’re a nobody.” When Peter leaves his family behind to chase his dream, Williams is raised by his mother Janet (Kate Mulvany) and his grandmother Betty (Alison Steadman).

As a 9-year-old, he gets a taste for the spotlight by goofing off during a production of “The Pirates of Penzance,” and his thirst for fame becomes unquenchable. At 15, he auditions for Take That and blows the audition, but his star quality is so undeniable that he makes the cut anyway. Then comes the stardom, the women, the drugs and the self destruction, which “Better Man” handles with a refreshing degree of honesty. (Williams has no problem making himself, or at least the monkey version of himself, come off like a contemptible jerk.)

But there’s salvation around the corner, and even if “Better Man” is hitting familiar beats, it’s playing them in an invigorating way, and using its creative license to its advantage. Williams’ character is constantly haunted by visions of his former selves, who appear like vengeful ghosts during his most vulnerable moments, a useful deployment of the army of digital primates.

Whether or not the film opens Williams up to audiences who have been long resistant to his charms is beside the point. It’s an opportunity for Williams to tell his truth in an emotionally honest way, which is something he’s always done, and which makes it an essential part of the Robbie experience. Monkey or no monkey, “Better Man” sings.

Tribune News Service