GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★★
Rated: MA15+
Directed by: Michael Gracey
Written by: Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey
Produced by: Craig McMahon, Coco Xiaolu Ma, Jules Daly, Paul Currie p.g.a
Starring: Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno, Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvaney, Frazer Hadfield, Tom Budge and Anthony Hayes.
‘Let me entertain you.’
Inspired by the true events of Robert Williams’ life, Robbie Williams’ beginning was a humble one.
Back in 1982, grubby and deprived, Robert is facedown in the mud.
The local kids tell him, ‘You really are useless, aren’t you?’
‘You’re a fucking nobody.’
But his nan (Alison Steadman) loved him.
‘I wouldn’t change a hair on your head,’ she tells him.
It says a lot that the film has Robbie as a monkey.
Robbie says the best thing his, Take That manager, Nigel Martin-Smith (Damon Herriman) did was change his name from Robert to Robbie because then he had a name to hide behind.
But he’d do anything to be in that spotlight, even if it terrified him.
Director, Michael Gracey states, ‘Robbie would say things like, “I’m up the back dancing like a monkey.” After a while, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be amazing to represent Robbie as a monkey in the film?” Because Robbie is telling this story – and that’s how he sees himself.’
Growing up with his mum (Kate Mulvaney) and nana, Robbie idolized his dad (Steve Pemberton), also a performer. He tells Robbie, ‘You’re either born with it or you’re a nobody.’
Robbie was terrified of being a nobody.
The film doesn’t hold back from telling the story of Robbie’s life.
Robbie learnt early that it wasn’t just talent that made you famous, it was being a smart arse on stage that went a long way to helping that rise to fame a reality.
Signing with, Take That at 15, Robbie thought he’d blown the audition. It was being a smart arse, telling Nigel Martin-Smith that he’d tell the rest of the contenders to go home, ending the statement with a wink, that got him the spot in the hugely successful boy band.
He’d finally found his place. His freedom.
Until his demons started showing up in the audience.
Those demons getting him kicked out of the band because of his need for substances to give him the courage to get up on stage.
The bad boy.
The insecure boy. Stunted at 15.
The journey of his life is shown in Robbie’s music and a continual rollercoaster that flowed from one scene to the other like table lamps lighting, one to the other across the room.
Like black water rising from the floor to drown the man always hiding.
‘My life always seems to be a tightrope act with no safety harness,’ admits Williams. ‘I could fall off at any moment and a lot of the time I do.’
There’s an edge to that chaotic feeling throughout the film, those lurking demons give the film an understanding of the pressure Robbie was under, what he had to fight every time he performed.
But there’s also a lot of fun here, like the merch of, Take That featuring babushka dolls where one boy goes into another, ‘for the foreign fans.’
Everyone loves a smart arse redemption story, and this one is vastly entertaining.
As introduced at the premiere by producer Paul Currie, Gracey is genius in opening a window into Robbie Williams’ life.
And there’s brutal truth to it, but also a warm heart.
