Michael Gracey Directs the Magic of ‘Better Man’
Michael Gracey is something of a magician. After the runaway success of 2017’s ‘The Greatest Showman’, Gracey has another trick up his sleeve: a singing, dancing, potty-mouthed CGI monkey. Not just any CGI monkey either. This ape is one of the biggest pop voices in England who rose to fame in the boy band Take That. ‘Better Man’, co-written and directed by Gracey, is the musical biopic of Robbie Williams that charts his rise to fame through the eyes of Williams as a CGI monkey.
Better Man may fall in the genre of musical biopics, but it’s certainly not your run-of-the-mill film. Most people are focused on the fact that Williams is portrayed by a monkey, though it’s a decision that didn’t give the man himself a moment of pause. Gracey explained that, during an early meeting, he asked Williams which animal best described him. “He said, definitely a lion, with a big grin on his face. I said, really? Robbie was like, nah, I'm more of a cheeky monkey. I pitched him the idea and he could not have been more on board.”
Shockingly, Williams was the easiest person to convince. Gracey went on to explain that there would not be Better Man without this tiny, hairy detail. “That was the only thing that interested me in terms of telling this story. I wouldn't have made the film if I didn't come up with a way I thought was kind of going to be more powerful or more meaningful.”
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Before a viewer sees the film, it’s true that this monkey is what captures the majority of their attention and, on paper, is what distinguishes Better Man from the rest of its musical biopic counterparts. In actuality, it’s the film’s fearless sense of vulnerability that makes it such a worthy entry in the genre.
“I actually think what makes the film really human is how flawed, honest, and raw the story is. I think it's very hard for an audience to relate to the godlike rock star who’s perfect because it's just not something that you or I know about,” Gracey explained. “What you can relate to is someone who has moments of doubt, self-loathing, is critical of themself, has insecurities, and says things that they wish they didn't.”
“Credit to Rob for letting us show scenes where he comes off really unlikable. I was sure he was going to cut scenes from the film when he watched it,” Gracey went on. “It's one thing to read it on the page, right? To imagine whatever version of the film on the paper. It's very confronting to see it in a cinema with it playing large on a screen. To Rob’s credit, he didn't cut a single shot from this film. Not one shot did he say, I think it'd be better if you didn't put that in. Which I think is amazing.”
One of the standout moments of the film is the “Rock DJ” sequence that comes as Robbie and his Take That bandmates sign their life-changing record deal. It stops the film in its tracks in the best, most jaw-dropping way. That’s not the only thing the sequence stopped in its tracks. The scene unfolds on Regent Street in London. The crew shut down the bustling shopping street at night to film this raucous number. However, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II brought the film to a screeching halt and threatened the existence of the “Rock DJ” sequence.
“It's one of those blessings in disguise,” Gracey said. “‘It was the worst thing ever at the time. We lost all that money because insurance doesn't cover the death of the Queen. It was a very dark time with a lot of people saying just cut the number. Fortunately, we kept fighting for it. We had to rehearse somewhere other than Regent Street. The rehearsal was pretty compelling in that you kind of go, wow. It's all in a studio with Regent Street taped out on the ground with the rubbish bins, the bus stop, and everything. You can sort of picture it in your head. If we didn't have that rehearsal, there's no way we ever would have been able to convince people to let us shoot it, particularly as it pushed the delivery of the film back by five months.”
“All of that said,” Gracey continued, “we did use the time to rework some of the choreography, like the mobility scooters. The boys got more practice on the pogo sticks. It became apparent that they really needed more practice on the pogo sticks when we were in rehearsal (laughs).”
For many Americans, the meteoric rise of Robbie Williams and Take That is unknown. Better Man is a jukebox musical with songs by Williams and the boy band, but may not be immediately recognizable to those who didn’t grow up in the midst of Williams’ rise to fame. While that may seem like an uphill battle, Gracey saw it as an opportunity.
“I really love the audiences who don't know who Robbie Williams is. They sort of meet the film like it's an original musical. I think that's really powerful because it's sort of a blessing and a curse,” Gracey said. “When you do a musical where people know the songs, they've already got their own attachment to those songs. They've all got moments that have memories of like, oh, I remember that song when I was at this stage of my life. They've already got a context, and what you're trying to do narratively is give them a new context and say, from this point forward, I would like this song to mean this.”
“You're wanting to lean into these moments both emotionally and lyrically,” Gracey continued. “I always say that one should sing when words no longer suffice. My belief is that in the depths of despair, when you can't articulate it any other way, you break into song. In those moments of absolute joy and euphoria, you break into song. If, narratively, you're taking the audience up to those moments or down to those moments of emotional punch, then when people sing, it doesn't feel like what I refer to is a needle drop. It doesn't feel like the record just starts and you're like, whoa, where did that come from? Because I hate the needle drop. I hate musicals where you're like, why? Why do people, apropos of nothing, just stare out the window and start singing?”
Next for Gracey is another musical. He’ll be tackling the live-action version of Disney’s ‘Tangled’. With two musicals under his belt, Gracey is ready for the new challenge with everything he learned from Better Man and The Greatest Showman. Each new film is a chance to build upon what he’s already learned.
“As a filmmaker, it's exciting to get the opportunity to make a film these days. I think it's such a battle for anyone to get a film together. I have incredible respect and admiration for anyone who actually manages to put a film together. Movies are these impossible dreams, and you have to rally so many people around an idea to make them feel as passionately as you do about bringing it to life.”