44/40
Featured on The 7PM Project: Episode 5, December 2024 (2024)
Story
A unique profile of British pop superstar Robbie Williams.. The film is created from multiple interviews that director Michael Gracey conducted with Robbie Williams over a year and a half at Williams’ recording studio in Los Angeles, United States. 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 is from those recordings.. Robbie Williams: If You’re Gonna Laugh, Just Do It Inside, Okay?
This film is not what I expected
You’d expect color, theater, music, and dance in a Robbie Williams biopic, and this film doesn’t disappoint with its spectacle. But while lesser biopics take you on a journey through artistic hits, this film takes you on a journey through Robbie Williams’ psyche as he tries to come to terms with the fact that he’s about to get everything he’s ever wanted, but feels like it’s still not enough for him. The film moves at breakneck speed and there are very few moments where the film stops to breathe, but it’s thanks to Michael Gracey and his crew that the film still packs a powerful emotional punch. Jonno Davies is fantastic as Robbie, capturing his movements and idiosyncrasies perfectly.
The film benefits greatly from being an independent film
The team at Weta should also be commended for their incredible work transforming his performance into a chimpanzee that symbolizes how Robbie sees himself (an ape in performance, less evolved than those around him). Raechelle Banno plays Nicole Appleton (from All Saints) and gives an emotional performance as Robbie’s fiancé. 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 exceptional
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 should be commended for allowing the film to lay all of its flaws and mistakes at the audience’s feet. He doesn’t come off well for large parts of the film, and the film is enhanced by his honesty with the audience.
I hope it achieves the success it deserves
This film is bombastic and in your face for almost the entire duration, yet like the man it’s filming, it has a sensitive soul just beneath all the bravado. It’s the best film of the year, a visual and auditory feast.