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[EviLore]

“
Expanding to 1,291 venues this weekend, the wacky Robbie Williams biopic “Better Man” isn’t exactly going bananas with a puny $580,000 opening day. Paramount, working with some co-financiers, acquired the feature for North America distribution (and Japan and France) for $25 million.

Helmed by “Greatest Showman” director Michael Gracey, “Better Man” drew strong reviews playing fall festivals, with critics largely taken by the premise of having Williams represented by a CGI chimpanzee because, as he puts it in the trailer, he always felt “less evolved than other people.” But the film fizzled in its limited release in late December and, after hoping to plant a flag in awards season, has faded mightily among Oscar prognosticators. Williams is a U.K. icon, but has mostly remained obscure stateside, and a domestic marketing campaign that has emphasized the primate premise over the central pop star didn’t take.
“

 

[Werewolf Jones]

He's not on the same level as Elton John, Freddie Mercury, The Beatles.

He's just some fella from Stoke-on-Trent.

 

[Big Baller]

I was like wtf is this shit when I saw some trailers on tv

 

[SJRB]

> make biopic about singer who faded out of relevancy 15 years ago
> give them a 110 million dollar budget
> replace singer, literally the only reason people who care would watch the movie, with a CGI chimpanzee

What is this strategy called?

 

[EviLore]

*checks youtube*

Yeah I’ve never heard any of this guy’s songs before.



And never will again

 

[SidViscous]

> make biopic about singer who faded out of relevancy 15 years ago
> give them a 110 million dollar budget
> replace singer, literally the only reason people who care would watch the movie, with a CGI chimpanzee

What is this strategy called?

Don’t forget to cast someone other than the person the movie is about to sing all the songs in the film.

 

[RagnarokIV]

This is a better biopic and more accurate:



And if you don’t know who Robbie Williams is, that will tell you all you need to know.

“But the sign says no smoking!!”

 

[SJRB]

 

[Cyberpunkd]

> make biopic about singer who faded out of relevancy 15 years ago
> give them a 110 million dollar budget
> replace singer, literally the only reason people who care would watch the movie, with a CGI chimpanzee

What is this strategy called?

Tax write-off.

 

[calistan]

*checks youtube*

Yeah I’ve never heard any of this guy’s songs before.



And never will again

Angels was pretty good. Probably his best song, I think most people in the UK would be able to sing along with that.

It's weird how some artists never really cross the Atlantic. Going the other way, I like a bit of country music and I know Garth Brooks is/was super famous in the States but I couldn't name a single one of his songs.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

At least the Spice Girls movie came out at their peak of their fame and cultural relevance. Fucking hell. Imagine they dropped that now?

 

[RavenSan]

holy shit this almost made me spit out of my coffee. A+ work

 

[IAmRei]

If not because of this thread, i never new betterman

 

[Husky]

I found out about this film a few days ago. I've never heard of Robbie Williams, but yeah, the monkey really makes me want to see the movie.

 

[T8SC]

Life Thru A Lens & I've Been Expecting You are great albums. I know it's hard for American's to remember there's life beyond your country's boundary but Robbie Williams is pretty big outside of the UK too.

Angels, Let Me Entertain You, Millennium, No Regrets, Rock DJ, She's The One, Kids, Supreme, Let Love Be Your Energy, Feel ... and many more of his early hits are all good.

 

[Oberstein]

Can we please leave the dead alone? He made us laugh for years, and his role in Mrs Doubtfire... oh wait, Robbie Williams.

 

[Little Mac]

He had that one hit "Millennium" like 27 years ago. Maybe he was bigger overseas? IDK. I think his dating history was more successful than his music career.

 

[ClanOfNone]

Can we please leave the dead alone? He made us laugh for years, and his role in Mrs Doubtfire... oh wait, Robbie Williams.

lol, I thought the same thing.
“Why is a cgi chimp playing Robin Williams in a biopic?”
“Oh, ROBBIE Williams……who the fuck is Robbie Williams?”

*checks youtube*

Yeah I’ve never heard any of this guy’s songs before.



And never will again

Oh.
Never mind.

 

[Hookshot]

He was part of a boy band called “Take That” who went on to have a successful solo career with some decent enough songs. Not sure why people thought he deserved a film, especially an expensive cgi one. He’s also a Port Vale FC fan so now as Americans you’ve learnt of an obscure team rather than just Manchester United.

 

[DKehoe]

I liked it. Not one of my favourite films of last year but still a fun watch. It's currently got 88% for critics score and 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes so it seems like others who have seen it enjoyed it too. Obviously that's not been as many as those who made it would have hoped though. I'm guessing The Greatest Showman was such a hit that the director got a lot of creative freedom to make pretty much whatever he wanted.

There are aspects that make sense as to why you'd do it. Williams is a charismatic guy and his life story has that rise-fall-rise trajectory that the makers of these kinds of biopics look for. But making a CGI-heavy, $100 million version of that story is an odd decision.

It does go for something more visually interesting than most, and I don't just mean the CGI chimp. The Knebworth gig turning into a post-apocalyptic battlefield where he's brawling with thousands of previous versions of himself certainly isn't a typical choice.

Don’t forget to cast someone other than the person the movie is about to sing all the songs in the film.

He does do the vocals for the songs as well as being the narrator.

This is a better biopic and more accurate:



And if you don’t know who Robbie Williams is, that will tell you all you need to know.

“But the sign says no smoking!!”

Doesn't have a chimpanzee getting a handjob or shooting up heroin though, does it?

 

[ShadowNate]

I think I know about 3 of his songs that all came out before 2000. He wasn't a bad signer and I'm sure he had his fan following back in the day. I've only heard him via watching MTV those days, and the overall impression he gave off when talking to the (MTV?) press was being a jerk for no apparent reason. I guess he chose that as his brand.

Somehow, I don't think it worked out for him in the long run.

 

[kruis]

Life Thru A Lens & I've Been Expecting You are great albums. I know it's hard for American's to remember there's life beyond your country's boundary but Robbie Williams is pretty big outside of the UK too.

Angels, Let Me Entertain You, Millennium, No Regrets, Rock DJ, She's The One, Kids, Supreme, Let Love Be Your Energy, Feel ... and many more of his early hits are all good.

Those were all huge hits in continental Europe, too. Robbie Williams will have a successful live touring career until he or his female fans die. He's also a great talkshow guest with many funny anecdotes, I've always enjoyed his appearances on the Graham Norton Show.

 

[calistan]

He does do the vocals for the songs as well as being the narrator.

It was some random dude singing, to make it sound more like a young Robbie.

Who provides Robbie Williams singing voice in Better Man film?

Adam Tucker counts Pink, Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron among his fans even if they don't know it.

www.bbc.co.uk

Somehow, I don't think it worked out for him in the long run.

He's outlasted most of his contemporaries, and still plays stadiums. If you can access the BBC iPlayer, this documentary is very good. About how all these British boy bands of the 90s got chewed up and spat out, with Robbie Williams as one of the few survivors.

Boybands Forever

Behind the singing, smiles and double denim was blood, sweat and tears. Heartthrobs from Take That to Westlife and 911 share tales of success, adoration and the flipside of fame.

www.bbc.co.uk

(My wife is a big fan and is going to see him when he comes to our town in the summer. Alone.)

 

[DKehoe]

It was some random dude singing, to make it sound more like a young Robbie.

Who provides Robbie Williams singing voice in Better Man film?

Adam Tucker counts Pink, Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron among his fans even if they don't know it.

www.bbc.co.uk

He's outlasted most of his contemporaries, and still plays stadiums. If you can access the BBC iPlayer, this documentary is very good. About how all these British boy bands of the 90s got chewed up and spat out, with Robbie Williams as one of the few survivors.

Boybands Forever

Behind the singing, smiles and double denim was blood, sweat and tears. Heartthrobs from Take That to Westlife and 911 share tales of success, adoration and the flipside of fame.

www.bbc.co.uk

(My wife is a big fan and is going to see him when he comes to our town in the summer. Alone.)

Ah ok I thought Williams sang them all since he's credited as providing vocals. Looks like he just did parts.

 

[T8SC]

He had that one hit "Millennium" like 27 years ago. Maybe he was bigger overseas? IDK. I think his dating history was more successful than his music career.

Lol

Williams has received a record 18 Brit Awards, winning Best British Male Artist four times, Outstanding Contribution to Music twice, an Icon Award for his lasting impact on British culture, eight German ECHO Awards, and three MTV European Music Awards. In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame after being voted the Greatest Artist of the 1990s. According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), he has been certified for 20.36 million albums and 9.2 million singles in the UK as a solo artist. Five of his albums have also topped the Australian albums chart, and has sold 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He also topped the 2000–2010 UK airplay chart. His three concerts at Knebworth in 2003 drew over 375,000 people, the UK's biggest music event to that point

 

[Bojji]

*checks youtube*

Yeah I’ve never heard any of this guy’s songs before.



And never will again

I only (really) know and like one of his songs:

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Damn. I was really hoping that “biopic with the subject played by a CGI monkey” would become the next big trend in Hollywood

 

[Donald mac Ronald]

*checks youtube*

Yeah I’ve never heard any of this guy’s songs before.



And never will again

The 90s were sure something.

 

[Little Mac]

Lol

Williams has received a record 18 Brit Awards, winning Best British Male Artist four times, Outstanding Contribution to Music twice, an Icon Award for his lasting impact on British culture, eight German ECHO Awards, and three MTV European Music Awards. In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame after being voted the Greatest Artist of the 1990s. According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), he has been certified for 20.36 million albums and 9.2 million singles in the UK as a solo artist. Five of his albums have also topped the Australian albums chart, and has sold 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He also topped the 2000–2010 UK airplay chart. His three concerts at Knebworth in 2003 drew over 375,000 people, the UK's biggest music event to that point

Sorry for my ignorance but this guy is practically unknown in the US apart from that Millenium song a quarter of a century ago.

I only remembered him because he somehow dated half the spice girls on top of some of the most beautiful women back in the day. Cameron Dias, Racheal Hunter, ect …

 

[SirTerry-T]

Robbie Williams is, was and always shall be a cunt of the highest order.
His 15 minutes was up years ago and any Brit will tell you how sick they are of hearing and reading about his struggles with "his demons".
Self-obsessed twat.

 

[RoboFu]

It's not that he isn't known outside the UK as much as he is not good enough to be known outside of the UK.

I mean Sam smith even broke out to the US.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

The timing for this biopic is odd at the very least. Let alone the fact that he is not that famous. It should have been a dragon instead of a monkey. Some people would have bought tickets believing it would be an urban fantasy movie.

 

[Deft Beck]

No matter how famous across-the-ponders say he is, it's no wonder this movie bombed here. I think most people here think it's some kind of NFT/Bored Ape movie.

 

[Hookshot]

He has higher confirmed sales than Bob Marley or Bryan Adams and many more than the band Kiss which are all people Americans would say were famous

List of best-selling music artists - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Jaybe]

I saw this at TIFF based on it getting rated high in some people’s lists for the festival and went in blind only knowing it was a musician biopic. It’s a mostly fine movie, some laughs, nice cinematography, and you probably emphasize more with the CGI monkey than you would a real Robbie Williams. But it has some really goofy scenes, the father side story seems handled amateurly, and there isn’t much new brought to the musician biopic aside from the monkey spin. I left the theatre knowing I couldn’t recommend it to anyone and thinking it would bomb.

 

[rm082e]

> make biopic about singer who faded out of relevancy 15 years ago
> give them a 110 million dollar budget
> replace singer, literally the only reason people who care would watch the movie, with a CGI chimpanzee

What is this strategy called?

Money laundering.

 

[V1LÆM]

so strange. i can't remember the last time i heard his music. i kept hearing the advert on the radio (i listen to too much radio) and it pissed me off. his voice is so annoying.

have you seen it kanjobazooie ???

 

[Trunx81]

He even was considered James Bond during the darker ages.
Angels is a great song, always in the Singstar hit lists.

But this movie … is just bananas

 

[mopspear]

Movie critics writing about this movie:

*takes hit from crack pipe* *opens monkey themed thesaurus* "Audiences don't go bananas over 'Better Man'."

I think I have run into Robbie William's music once in all my years of getting non-American music from YouTube. YouTube prefers to feed me Soviet music before this guy!

 

[lughnasadh123]

No thanks you damn dirty....chimp?

 

[ReBurn]

If you can access the BBC iPlayer, this documentary is very good.

Risky click

 

[AJUMP23]

I think he is a good singer, but he never hit in the US. I think Jessica simpson had a big hit with his song Angels. He tried to make it in the states, just never had any staying power. And know one in the US knows who the members of Take That are. They had one song chart.

 

[808mate]

It bombed over here, too.

That guy had his moment over 20 years ago.

 

[AJUMP23]

This is a better biopic and more accurate:



And if you don’t know who Robbie Williams is, that will tell you all you need to know.

“But the sign says no smoking!!”

Found this entertaining. Never seen anything like it.

 

[Trunx81]

I think he is a good singer, but he never hit in the US. I think Jessica simpson had a big hit with his song Angels. He tried to make it in the states, just never had any staying power. And know one in the US knows who the members of Take That are. They had one song chart.

TIL that Jessica Simpson covered Angels

 

[AJUMP23]

TIL that Jessica Simpson covered Angels

it got a ton of radio play.

 

[T8SC]

it got a ton of radio play.

That's legitimately terrible.

Why is she trying to sound & look like Britney Spears? Even with the croakey voice thing.

Americans, always butchering British stuff & then claiming it as their own!

 

[AJUMP23]

That's legitimately terrible.

Why is she trying to sound & look like Britney Spears? Even with the croakey voice thing.

Americans, always butchering British stuff & then claiming it as their own!

Been butchering the British since 1776.

 

[Kilau]

This isn't part of the Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile cinematic universe?

 

[navii]

This might explain why he was doing free shows in Australia around NY time. He was big here back in the day.