Little Robert is bad at soccer and is bullied by the other boys. He’s happiest watching TV at grandma’s, he’s talented as the class clown, and he dreams of becoming an entertainer – just like his father, who left his family in order to go on pub tours. Robert longingly waits for a call from him – actually for his entire life. Robert's big moment comes when he makes it through the casting for Take That, more through audacity than through his boring audition, and his career as Robbie with the boy band skyrockets. The pop biopic beats follow: big egos, clashes in the band, drugs, Robbie is kicked out, big love, more drugs, love in crisis, a solo career, even more drugs, big success, the lowest point...with the difference, that the star, Robbie Williams, is played by a monkey in this biopic, or rather by actor Jonno Davies, who transformed into a monkey with motion capture in post-production. The effect is brilliant. Michael Gracey (THE GREATEST SHOWMAN) avoids having an actor portray the real and still very much alive Williams. On the one hand, the monkey has very human traits, but on the other hand, he can also exaggerate without restraint. The Robbie monkey is sometimes lost and in need of protection, sometimes on the verge of going crazy, sometimes cute and playful, sometimes evil and mischievous - and he manifests the central dilemma of the superstar, who still feels like a ragged monkey at heart. All of this isn’t particularly subtle, just the opposite. The film, which is always in high gear, sometimes gets tiring, but then the next original choreography usually comes around the corner.

Toni Ohms (INDIEKINO MAGAZIN)

Translation: Elinor Lewy