As episodes of The Film Buff accumulated, a clearer definition of the show began to emerge from the shadows. At its core, The Film Buff is driven by a singular mission: to watch films and ensure that audiences know—without a doubt—that Peter A DeLuca has experienced them firsthand.
In a landscape where film criticism is often tainted by fleeting internet opinions and the lingering suspicion that some reviewers may not even watch the films they discuss, The Film Buff stands as a defiant counterpoint.
In today’s episode, the 2024 musical biopic Better Man is not only watched but thoroughly analyzed, as The Film Buff brings its signature perspective to the story of Robbie Williams.
Thos who brought us Better Man.
Director:
Michael Gracey
Producers:
Paul Currie
Jules Daly
Michael Gracey
Coco Xiaolu Ma
Craig McMahon
Screenwriters:
Simon Gleeson
Oliver Cole
Michael Gracey
Main Cast:
Damon Herriman
Kate Mulvany
Alison Steadman
Steve Pemberton
Jake Simmance
Robbie Williams
Karina Banno
Raechelle Banno
More about this film.
Better Man (2024), directed by The Greatest Showman’s Michael Gracey, is a dazzling, heart-wrenching, and deeply personal portrait of British pop icon Robbie Williams. But this isn’t just another paint-by-numbers rock biopic. Instead, it’s a high-wire act of self-exploration—Williams, known for his brash charisma and razor-sharp wit, serves as both the subject and, in many ways, the narrator of his own story.
The film traces his meteoric rise from the starry-eyed teen who joined Take That, to his tumultuous split from the boyband, and onto his record-smashing solo career. Williams’ triumphs are balanced against his struggles with addiction, self-doubt, and the unforgiving pressure of fame. But what sets Better Man apart is its playful and unconventional approach—it’s part spectacle, part confessional, an introspective rollercoaster that captures the chaos of celebrity life while never losing sight of the man behind the headlines.
With Gracey’s signature visual flair and Williams' own self-deprecating humor infused into the storytelling, Better Man isn’t just a music film; it’s a reckoning with stardom, a love letter to the highs and lows of a life lived in the spotlight. If Bohemian Rhapsody was a rock opera and Rocketman was a fantasy, Better Man is something even more audacious—a movie where the star gets to rewrite his own legend, flaws and all.