Americans ask ‘Who is Robbie Williams?’ as CGI ape biopic leaves theater-goers scratching their heads
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‘Better Man’ has struggled at the box office despite rave reviews. The new Robbie Williams movie Better Man bills itself as an unconventional music biopic thanks to the idiosyncratic choice to have the central role portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee, but many Americans have found themselves puzzling over a more basic question about the film: “Who is Robbie Williams?”.
The British pop star, 50, is one of the most successful recording artists in UK history, with seven number one singles and 14 number one albums to his name. However, he has never achieved the same cultural impact in the United States, where he has failed to crack the Billboard Top 50 with any of his songs (1997’s “Angels”, a cultural phenomenon in the UK, came closest when it reached 53).
In Britain, Williams shot to fame as a member of boy band Take That, who released their debut album Take That & Party in 1992. A series of UK chart-topping albums and singles followed, including March 1995 ballad “Back For Good,” which was also a hit in the US, reaching number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. A few months later, in June, Williams was photographed partying with Oasis at Glastonbury festival and the British tabloids were filled with reports of his burgeoning drug use. Take That delivered him an ultimatum, and Williams decided to leave the group rather than adhering to the requirements of going on a world tour with the boy band.
Williams launched his solo career in 1996, with debut album Life thru a Lens following in 1997. The record was at first a modest success, debuting at number 11 on the charts, but the massive success of “Angels” helped it eventually top the charts five months later. Follow-up I’ve Been Expecting You went straight in at number one in 1998 and went platinum 10 times over.
