Michael Gracey’s visual effects wizardry has already captured the hearts of millions with The Greatest Showman. A gorgeous, breathtaking technical feast with so many earworms it’s a regular sing-a-long event at movie theaters, the film left an incredibly high bar for Gracey to surpass. But he may have done it with Better Man, a musical biopic unlike any other you’ll have seen. Following UK superstar Robbie Williams from his blue-collar upbringing, his time in boy band Take That, to the highs of solo celebrity fame and the inevitable crash back down to Earth, the film depicts Williams as he saw himself at the time: as a performing monkey. That’s right, Robbie Williams is seen as a monkey throughout the film, while the singer narrates the story about the soaring highs and tragic lows of his life and career.
Recently, I had the chance to speak with Michael Gracey about Better Man, how the project came to be, Robbie Williams’ creative and emotional input in telling his story, and of course, the dazzling special effects that make the film such a treat for the eyes. I hope you’ll check it out and enjoy!
Paramount Pictures opens Better Man in theaters on Christmas Day!
