Robbie Williams: What makes the Netflix documentary about him so captivating

In bed with Robbie
Intimate and captivating: What sets the Netflix documentary about Robbie Williams apart

Within a few weeks, Netflix released two documentaries about two British superstars. Robbie Williams and David Beckham look back on their lives – in an exciting way.

“You actually only do that at the gates of heaven with Saint Peter,” says Robbie Williams, sitting in his bed in his underwear and undershirt. In the Netflix documentary “Robbie Williams,” the superstar looks back on his life in several episodes – literally.

“Robbie Williams”: Superstar looks back on his life

As Williams chills in his favorite place – his bedchamber – he is confronted with hours of archival footage. He sees how he becomes a member of Take That at the age of 16, how the band celebrates their first successes and quickly rises to become one of the biggest British boy bands. Williams once again witnesses the discord within the band, his competition with lead singer Gary Barlow and his eventual expulsion or resignation.

Sequences filmed in the 1990s show the Brit trying to record his first album despite severe alcohol addiction. A camera captures him being wheeled into rehab and continuing to crack jokes. The musician’s later meteoric rise is also visually recapitulated.

Close-ups capture every emotion

There are probably countless TV shows about Williams’ life. What makes the Netflix documentary so special, however, is the way Williams himself is captured on film. It’s not just the fact that you, as a viewer, make it into your bed that creates an intimate atmosphere. In close-up you can see his face, his facial expressions, his wrinkles. How his expression changes when he sees the footage from before. Sadness, regret and, very rarely, pride can be seen there. The face shown here tells the story just as clearly as the unique archive footage, much of which even hardcore fans didn’t know about.

David Beckham was recently confronted with his life in a similar way. The stylistic device of the close-up is also used in “Beckham”. While the sounds of legendary football games can be heard in the background, the documentary also shows the face of its hero. While Williams shows a lot of shame and pain, Beckham looks back on the greatest but also most painful hours of his career with a little more pride and emotion. In both cases, the camera ensures intimacy.

Unlike the Williams documentary, “Beckham” seems a little more produced, a little smoother, more controlled by the family clan’s PR machine. In addition to the close-up photos of the former sports star, interviews with former teammates and competitors as well as his wife Victoria are part of the film. This gives you a good impression of what makes Beckham tick.

“I want to look him in the eye”

Williams, however, is largely alone when he looks back. It sometimes seems oppressive to witness how the musician has to relive the darkest hours of his life. In some places you wish there were a few more voices and different perspectives on the events, although Williams is of course capable of entertaining for an entire documentary on his own. He is and remains a born entertainer, but he could also have had a successful career as a comedian.

“We did a first interview and Rob gave a brilliant interview, but it was an interview I had heard before,” director Joe Perlman tells Variety. “We thought: There’s so much more. We’ve seen the footage, we know that’s there; how can we force him to look back? How can we force him to reassess the situation? And that’s how we came “I came up with the idea of ​​letting him relive his life,” says Perlman.

He didn’t want a traditional documentary format in which many other people had their say and gave their assessment. “I want to hear from Rob, I want to look him in the eye when he’s trying to lie to me, when he’s trying to wriggle out of a question. And without that intensity, you’re never going to get more than the platitudes,” Perlman said.

Perlman has undoubtedly succeeded in creating intensity. In particular, the intimacy created thanks to the camera – in both “Robbie Williams” and “Beckham” – gives hope for more films of this kind. There are enough celebrities and archive material.

source: “Variety”

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