Better Man
Between the awful trailer, the weird monkey component, and my hatred for biopics being bigger than ever, I fully expected to loath Better Man, but like any good movie subversion, I was pleasantly proven wrong. Better Man is amazing. If you’re like me and thought the CGI monkey interacting with real humans in all the forms that that entails would be bizarre, it just somehow isn’t. That weirdness fades away almost immediately, and instead the metaphor for what it represents becomes actually really profound. Michael Gracey, who was a producer for Rocketman, is one of the few people apparently that understands biopics should be more like a musical, and not 15 recreations of various concerts and performances that serve nothing but nostalgia. Obviously the other faux pas with biopics, is when there's direct involvement from the artist, it typically becomes so safe and unrevealing, but despite Robbie Williams literally voicing himself, this actually is a really vulnerable and honest look at his life, the good, and the mostly bad. It’s brilliant. Must watch.
-Z
Now THIS is what I want from a biopic (ahem, A Complete Unknown, take notes). A celebrity willing to share their cringey, unflattering past while telling their life story? Refreshing. Musical numbers that feel earned because they are a true spectacle? Rare for me. The main character is portrayed as a monkey but you kind of stop questioning that about 10 minutes into the movie? Unheard of. I’m so glad its (definitely earned) visual effects nom added this to our list, and I’m a little disappointed to have missed it in theaters.
-E
