26/47
Featured on The 7PM Project: episode 5 December 2024 (2024)
Tale
A unique profile of British pop superstar Robbie Williams. The film was born from multiple recordings of interviews that director Michael Gracey conducted with Robbie Williams over the course of a year and a half at Williams’ recording studio in Los Angeles, USA. Although the interviews were not originally intended for the film, as Gracey “just wanted to capture [Williams] in his own voice telling his story”, most of Williams’ voice in the film comes from these recordings. Robbie Williams: If You Want to Laugh, Do It Inside, Okay?
This film is not what I expected
You would expect colour, theatricality, music and dancing in a Robbie Williams biopic, and this film does not disappoint in terms of entertainment. But where lesser-known biopics take you on a journey of artistic achievement, this film takes you on a journey through the psyche of Robbie Williams, as he struggles to come to terms with having everything he ever wanted, yet still feeling like it wasn’t enough. The film moves at a breakneck pace and there are very few moments where the film pauses for breath, but it’s a credit to Michael Gracey and the team around him that the film still manages to pack a powerful emotional punch. Jonno Davies is fantastic as Robbie, capturing his movements and eccentricities perfectly.
The film benefits greatly from being an independent film
The team at Wet should also be commended for their incredible work in transforming his performance into a chimpanzee, which symbolises how Robbie sees himself (an acrobatic ape, less evolved than those around him). Raechelle Banno plays Nicole Appleton (from All Saints) and gives a thrilling performance as Robbie’s girlfriend. Her dance performance and the montage of their meeting is truly one of the highlights of the film. Steve Pemberton is perfect as Robbie’s father, the man who made him who he is in the worst possible way.
His singing and voice work were also excellent
It feels like the story Michael Gracey really wanted to tell. Sex, drugs and rock and roll are laid bare in all their grotesque glory. Robbie Williams himself is to be commended for allowing the film to lay all of his flaws and mistakes at the feet of the audience. He doesn’t quite make it through much of the film, and the film is enriched by his honesty with the audience.
I hope it achieves the success it deserves
This film is bombastic and brash for most of its duration, but like the man it captures, underneath that bravado is a sensitive soul. It’s the best film of the year, a visual and aural feast.