Screens & Better Man

In this week’s episode we dive into Better Man, Michael Gracey’s glossy Robbie Williams biopic — the one where Robbie is portrayed as a CGI chimp. Yes, really. It’s a bold swing that reframes a familiar music-biopic arc with unexpected bite: boy-band manufacture, burnout, reinvention, and the messy business of becoming “Robbie” when “Robert” is still in the room.

What we cover

• The Big Swing: Why the CGI chimp isn’t a gimmick for giggles but a visual metaphor for the “performing monkey” persona Robbie built to survive fame — and why that works (or doesn’t) for each of us.
• Factory Settings: From Nigel & Gary’s control of Take That to the economics of who actually got paid, and the cost of being the “likeable one” without songwriting credits.
• Oasis Years & Networth Fever: The hang-around era, the envy, the one-upmanship, and the obsession with conquering Knebworth as validation.
• Dad, Demons & Dopamine: Anxiety, addiction, and that lifelong pursuit of approval — including the film’s sweetest and saddest notes with Nan, and the uneasy father-son bookends.
• Does the Film Sing? Staging, choreography, and why set-pieces like “Rock DJ” land; what’s rushed (Oasis/Nicole), what’s caricature (sorry, Gary), and where the emotional math still doesn’t balance.

Should you watch the film — and our take on it?

Short answer: yes to our episode (obviously), and qualified yes to the movie. One of us calls the chimp choice inspired, one calls it clever but not essential, and one is just happy it’s never dull. If you like spirited disagreement with actual reasons, you’re in the right feed.

“It’s every music-biopic cliché — but with a CGI chimp doing the coke. Somehow, that makes it feel new.”

🎧 Hit play for sharp chat, zero reverence, and plenty of laughs.
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Until next time, we remain...

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