22/39
An exclusive profile of British pop superstar Robbie Williams. The film is made from numerous interview tapes that filmmaker Michael Gracey conducted with Robbie Williams over the course of a year and a half at Williams’ recording studio in Los Angeles, United States. Although the interviews were not originally intended for the film because Gracey “just wanted to capture [Williams] in his own voice telling his story,” most of Williams’ voice in the film comes from these recordings. Robbie Williams: Nigel Martin Smith was, for legal reasons, an absolute sweetheart. And a first-class cunt. Featured on The 7PM Project: Episode 5 December 2024 (2024). A documentary that follows pop star Robbie Williams’ struggles to achieve stardom. Let me start by saying that I am not a Robbie Williams fan. He’s put out some great songs in the past, I know all the words to Angels, and that’s just one of about a dozen songs that I know all the words to, 9 of which are Taylor Swift songs. But anyway, my friend wanted to see the movie because she’s a huge Williams fan, so I agreed to go with her, and boy am I glad I did. Why is there a monkey instead of Robbie Williams? Well, Williams says that fame is haunted by people expecting him to be a performing monkey. And I agree. You only have to watch today’s talk shows to realize that all people want is for their stars to perform for them like monkeys. This is Robbie at his most honest, telling it like it is, without fear of repercussions. I already like him because I like truthful people. But that extends to his movie as well. His movie is not about his music, there are only 2 or 3 songs playing throughout. The movie is not even directly about his fame: it’s about him. How he deals (or doesn’t) with fame, how he deals (or doesn’t) with competition, how he deals (or doesn’t), how he deals with rejection and frustration, how he revels in alcohol and drugs, and how he ultimately sinks so low and rejects his closest friends that he has to seek therapy to regain his human functioning. It’s a stunningly honest film in which he doesn’t shy away from his mistakes or the mistakes of others. He doesn’t portray himself as a victim, although in some ways I think he was. He wants everyone to understand who he is, who he was, and what has shaped him up to this point. The cinematography is exquisite. The lighting and colors are beautiful, the dancing is at times mesmerizing: the scene on the main street where there seem to be thousands of people is simply cinematic perfection. The CGI monkey dances like the best dancer in the world and is so much fun to watch that I was actually surprised at how beautiful it was. I now have a positive opinion of this man who can bare his soul to anyone and everyone, and does it with verve, style, and brutal honesty. I would encourage anyone who likes cinema to watch this film just for the cinematic experience. Kudos to Erik Wilson (cinematographer), beautiful work. I gave it a solid 8.
