Photo courtesy The Herald Sun Australia

 

 

Russell Crowe announced as AACTA Awards host

 

Set to be held Friday, February 7 at Home of the Arts (HOTA) on the Gold Coast, the main awards will feature presenters such as international star Henry Cavill, who is filming Amazon MGM Studios’ Voltron feature at Village Roadshow Studios, along with local talent, Kitty Flanagan, Aaron Chen, Sophie Monk, Sam Pang, Kate Mulvany, Guy Pearce, Anne Edmonds, Aisha Dee, Alycia Debnam-Carey, David Wenham, Asher Keddie, Teresa Palmer, Stephen Curry, Ed Kavalee, Lisa McCune, Tom Gleeson, Catherine Laga’aia, Shane Jacobson, Catherine Martin, Guy Montgomery, Mel Tracina, Tim McDonald, Richard Wilkins, Leah Purcell, and George Miller.

 

In addition to hosting, Crowe will present the inaugural AACTA Award for Outstanding Contribution to the iconic music legend Paul Kelly, who is set to perform How to Make Gravy on the night. The song inspired Nick Waterman’s film of the same name, which has 15 nominations.

There will also be a performance of Angels from British star Robbie Williams, whose life inspired the most nominated film, Better Man.

 

“I’m incredibly honoured to be attending and performing at the AACTA Awards on the Gold Coast next month,” Williams said.

 

“The Better Man movie is something I’m extremely proud of. For this movie to be embraced by the AACTA membership, with a record-breaking 16 AACTA Award nominations, is a very special moment for me. I can’t wait to celebrate with everyone down under soon—it’s going to be an unforgettable night!”

 

Joining Curry at the AACTA Awards Industry Gala on February 5 are presenters Talijah Blackman-Corowa, Dane Simpson, Joel Jackson, Carlos Sanson Jr., Chris Alosio, Shane and Clayton Jacobson, Marc Fennell, Nicole Da Silva, Nina Oyama, and Lachlan and Jaxon Fairbairn.

 

The 2025 AACTA Awards Ceremony will be broadcast in Australia on Channel Ten at 7.30pm AEDT, Friday, February 7. A special extended AACTA Awards broadcast, including all awards from the ceremony, will be available from 7:30pm on Saturday, February 8 on Binge and Foxtel (Famous and available On-Demand). Both ceremonies will be held as part of the AACTA Festival, which will run for five days from February 5 – 9.

 

https://if.com.au/russell-crowe-announced-a...ta-awards-host/

 

Paramount are decided do not publish US box office results since yesterday (good step), so since now we're looking for International box office only

 

As somebody comments here Going Crazy referenced in the Rock DJ video . The original Going Crazy video does make me smile plus it's a great song :P

 

 

@1883494195886977150

$17m now.

 

He's taken $880K in France which surprises me as he hardly ever tours there?

 

He's taken more in France than in Italy where he always tours.

 

It was quite surprising the amount of people I talked to who did not know the film Better Man was about Robbie, they did not associate it with him & thought it was one of those King Kong movies, they failed to read the small print , they also said that there should have been an image of the real Robbie somewhere in the poster & then they may have looked twice

 

 

What can I say but that's what they are saying folks :thinking:

On the 430th episode of Piecing It Together, film critic Courtney Howard joins me to talk about Better Man. If you don’t know it by name, this is the Robbie Williams biopic where he’s digitally replaced by a CGI Chimp. It’s WILD. Puzzle pieces include All That Jazz, Rocketman, Babylon and of

course, Planet of the Apes.

 

 

 

Listen in link below

 

https://www.piecingpod.com/home/better-man-...ourtney-howard/

Edited January 27Jan 27 by Sydney11

$17m now.

 

He's taken $880K in France which surprises me as he hardly ever tours there?

 

He's taken more in France than in Italy where he always tours.

I was waiting for French release because traditionally French cinema market is one of the biggest in Europe. So, it's good to see a good result there.

Only I don't understand why it notes 15-26 Jan while it started on Jan-22. But hope this result is correct.

Not bad conversation on US podcast about new movies but only Better Man had 25 minutes of discussions.

 

 

It was quite surprising the amount of people I talked to who did not know the film Better Man was about Robbie, they did not associate it with him & thought it was one of those King Kong movies, they failed to read the small print , they also said that there should have been an image of the real Robbie somewhere in the poster & then they may have looked twice

What can I say but that's what they are saying folks :thinking:

 

 

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

 

oh my :P

I find it interesting to read what people say about the movie, good & bad. Good to read folks genuine points of view & not just having a go for the sake of it

 

 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/natashajokic1/robb...r-man-explainer

Some interesting data. Better Man Trailer ratings according to Flix Patrol - click on link below ;

 

 

 

https://flixpatrol.com/title/better-man-202...xLHk84AY3ldN2X0

 

 

 

Better Man - As discussed by a Fox & a Goat , Yes ! you heard right -_-

 

 

 

Not sure that I've posted this interview before.

 

This is one of the most interesting podcasts I have come across in relation to Better Man & how the movie was made , what was real, what was digital & how both come together in the different scenes including She's The One .

 

You can really hear why he is passionate about the movie , he also explains why the movie cost so much to make etc .

 

Listen in links below ;

 

https://www.fxguide.com/fxpodcasts/director...ing-better-man/

Director Michael Gracey & making Better Man Posted DEC 29th

 

https://www.fxguide.com/fxpodcasts/part-2-b...er-man-weta-fx/

fxpodcast: Better Man with Wētā FX Posted JAN 3rd

 

 

Edited January 30Jan 30 by Sydney11

Some fun from Californian lady :D

 

@1884498880621887879

 

@1884536036732420228

Better Man’ Review: An Apes**t Musical Epic

 

 

Robbie Williams biopic Better Man is stunning some viewers while leaving others confused. The decision to make himself into a monkey is being considered both a silly or a genius decision depending on who you ask. I agree with the latter.

 

Better Man is a film that completely took me by surprise. I knew nothing about Robbie Williams before I saw it- I didn’t even know who he was. I had heard his song “Angels” before, but that was the extent of my Williams knowledge.

 

The film takes a totally new approach with the tired “biopic” genre. It may seem silly on the surface (and, even still, silly beneath the surface). But there’s something equally surreal and touching about this pop star’s odd decision.

 

The Man behind the Monkey

 

 

So yes, let’s just say, Better Man will most likely be heralded as “The Monkey Movie” by those who have both seen and haven’t seen the movie alike. I’ve heard many an argument as to why Williams made this decision. Some say it’s simply a gimmick to draw in crowds to the theater. Others think there’s a much, much deeper reasoning going on behind it all. I’ll take Robbie Williams’ word for it- which he says in about the first five minutes of the film- he wanted to show us “the way he sees himself.”

 

That seals it for me- just a bold and brilliant creative choice- stripping a pop star down to his primal roots. I’ve seen this film three times now, and while the main “character” being a monkey takes some getting used to- it really works. Eventually it just becomes normal, and you really start to feel for this primate. It also allows scenes of total animal behavior, which works brilliantly within the themes of Williams’ story.

 

What makes Better Man Better?

 

Seen one musical biopic? Seen ’em all. That’s a lot of people’s opinion on the subgenre, and I can’t completely disagree. While I loved A Complete Unknown, these stories of fame and misfortune tend to follow a similar route. That’s why the best musical biopics make you feel like you’re watching something completely new- and Better Man does that to a tee. Take away the Monkey for a second and you still have one of the boldest, most visually stunning films that’s been made in years. That being said- the Monkey visual effects are insane! Like, totally unbelievable. The fact that they are so consistent throughout the entire two hour plus runtime? Amazing.

 

In some musicals, or musical biopics, the music can get in the way. This is a real test of technical skill, blending songs into a story without feeling ham-fisted. It’s not just the way the songs erupt like a symphony of emotion and excitement, it’s the way the visuals and audio work together to create something unreal. After three viewings, there are still several sequences that really make me wonder just how they pulled that off. There are traditional scenes one would see in a musical, sure. The typical concert scenes and such- but there are some scenes (I don’t dare spoil!)- that just grab your eyeballs and refuse to let go.

 

A Heartbreaking Story

 

I must warn you- this movie will make you cry. If you’re human, that is, and heck, probably even if you’re a monkey. Everyone has been through something- especially pop-stars who get hooked on drugs and have their share of family drama. But what makes this story so relatable is that Robbie Williams narrates the film himself. And while any “based on a true story” film is sure to have embellishments, he shares so many dark truths that it’s hard to believe he would lie about much anything else.

 

There is plenty that happens to Robbie that we have seen happen to other famous people, but its the choice to be so vulnerable that really scratches that itch. Many biopics can feel hollow or disingenuous because they’re simply telling someone else’s story. Better Man is Robbie Williams telling us the Robbie Williams story- and its done with such style, and such grand emotion, that its likely to touch even the most cynical of viewers. There are countless scenes that snowball into one another, shocking the audience into silence until finally the entire theater is sniffling. (Every. Damn. Time. There was sniffling. Believe me.)

 

A Fun, No Holds-Barred, Cinematic Style

 

’ve forgotten to mention the film’s director at this point, Michael Gracey. Holy crap, that man has talent. He did a pretty good job with The Greatest Showman, but golly, this movie makes that movie look like a “Kidz Bop” music video. Every transition, every landscape for each musical number, and especially, every performance pierces through the screen. The wacked-out, dream-like style of this monkey-musical is overwhelming, but credit to Gracey for making it so digestible. Each scene and beat of Williams’ story flows together seamlessly, years passing by in minutes without you even noticing. By the time the thing is over, its hard to believe everything that happened when it first started! But dammit do they tie it up with one of the most heart-warming and beautiful “full circles” I’ve seen in a long time.

 

His Way

 

What I respect most about the film is just Williams’ audacity to do it at all. He wanted to tell his story, he wanted to be a monkey, and he wanted to tell the world every dark, gritty, and devastating detail of his rise and fall and rise again in the music industry. It’s raw, it’s hilarious, and it’s poignant as hell. I never would’ve expected a biopic starring a foul-mouthed ape to garner so much love from myself, but it did, and continues to do so. While it may not being doing well at the American box office, and while many people might refuse to see the “Monkey Movie”, the few who do make the effort will find themselves plenty rewarded.

 

Better Man is still playing at select theaters, and will likely be streaming on one of those apps in the near future. Check it out.

 

 

https://www.bing.com/search?q=google+search...=1&hsmssg=0

Edited January 30Jan 30 by Sydney11

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Robbie Williams says Aussie indie films better than Hollywood box office hits

 

Better Man didn’t fire at the box office but Robbie Williams defends his indie biopic and says Hollywood is “killing the film industry.”

 

Kathy McCabe

 

Robbie Williams is the subject of one of the most talked-about biopics of the year but he confesses he’s not a film fan.

 

The Angels pop superstar, who will lend his star shine to the 2025 AACTA awards where Better Man leads the nominations, said he had turned off movies because of their predictability. Australian film-maker Michael Gracey has changed the mind of the English entertainer with his bold and bonkers biopic which cast Williams as a CGI chimp and features big musical numbers reminiscent of old Hollywood.

“I don’t like films. We (already) know the story and nobody is taking a risk or a gamble on giving us fresh things that we haven’t seen before because there is too much anxiety about everybody losing their job and their money,” he said.

 

“Unfortunately, it’s killing the film industry.

 

“But, it takes an independent movie, like Better Man, to remind people that audacious examples of humanity and great storytelling, done in a f***ing unusual way, still exist. Go Australia, go Robbie Williams.” The audacious independent biopic’s production budget was reported to be $110 million, with some of that funding secured via the Victorian Government’s VicScreen program and other Australian film investors. Gracey shot many scenes in Melbourne.

 

But it failed to fire at the box office and has taken in about $28 million worldwide since its Boxing Day release because of his lack of profile in the US and the ongoing musical film juggernaut that is Wicked. Better Man has a record-breaking 16 nominations for this year’s AACTAs with Williams up for Williams up for Best Original Song for Forbidden Road, which he penned for the film.# It is likely he will perform that song at the awards on the Gold Coast on February 7.

 

That song also scored a Golden Globes nomination but was disqualified from the Best Original Song shortlist at the Oscars because the Academy ruled it “incorporates material from an existing song that was not written” for Better Man. The Academy’s music branch ruled Forbidden Road bears similarities to I Got a Name, a 1973 Jim Croce song penned by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel - the theme for the film The Last American Hero.

 

Fox happens to be one of the three Music branch governors for the Oscars. Williams shrugged off the Oscars disqualification on the Golden Globes red carpet, saying a nomination would have been nice “but also, as an introvert, it’s another party I don’t have to go to.”

 

He told news.com.au Forbidden Road was written after Better Man director Michael Gracey rejected several songs Williams sent him to close the film.

“I sent several songs to put at the end of this film that Gracey was ‘no’ about. And I was like, ‘You’re f...ing wrong, Gracey,’” he said.

 

“And then I saw the film, and I realised that what I sent was wrong, and at the end of the movie, you need a cuddle and you need to be told it’s alright, because as a viewer, you’ve been through a lot. And so it is musical Xanax. The film’s soundtrack, which reimagines some of his signature hits including Angels, Feel and Rock DJ, landed at No.5 on the ARIA album charts in the weeks after his New Year’s Eve performance in Sydney.

 

https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movie...7d42b612b694fa6

Edited January 31Jan 31 by Sydney11

By release in Brasil this movie will be the most awarded ever :D

 

UPD 31.01.2025

 

WW Box Office

 

Better Man vs. The Brutalist

$18,047,052 vs. $11,712,947

 

--------------------------------------------------------------

 

International Box Office (without US/Canada)

*comparison of the countries with any known figures*

 

Better Man vs. Taylor Swift - The Eras Tour

 

Australia: $3,000,000 vs. $5,957,183

Czech Republic: $67,696 vs. $227,405

Germany: $2,144,483 vs. $3,911,805

Hungary: $33,009 vs. $141,648

Italy: $606,759 vs. $1,123,831

Netherlands: $573,257 vs. $474,456

New Zealand: $284,225 vs. $884,104

Portugal: $40,326 vs. $356,645

Slovakia: $40,626 vs. $79,575

Spain: $317,914 vs. $1,909,337

UAE: $93,906 vs. $697,076

UK: $7,846,673 vs. $15,159,422