The last time Take That sat for a documentary, they were a forgotten relic of the nineties. It was 2005, according to bbc.com, Gary Barlow and Mark Owen had lost their solo deals, and Robbie Williams was the only one with a career, even if he famously snubbed the film’s reunion climax.
That ITV documentary, adds the outlet, sparked a miracle. Six million viewers tuned in, leading to a sold-out arena tour and a second act that has now lasted twice as long as the first. Twenty years on, the band returns to the screen with a new Netflix film, but with Williams and Jason Orange absent, the result is a far more sanitised affair.
The film relies on 35 hours of previously unseen archive footage to retell a well-worn story: five northern lads who survived the “jelly-wrestling” marketing of their early days to become the UK’s biggest boy band.
While the archive clips of the band blowing off steam on tour are a treat for fans, much of the narrative remains repetitive. We hear again of the simmering tensions caused by Barlow’s songwriting monopoly and the “puppets and backing dancers” dynamic that led to Robbie’s 1995 exit.
The documentary doesn’t shy away from the dark days following the 1996 split. Barlow recalls the “excruciating” period where he became a national punchline, while Howard Donald admits to a harrowing low point where he contemplated suicide.
However, bbc.com states, the film finds its heart when discussing the band’s 2006 resurrection. We learn how Orange insisted on ditching their original manager, and how the group finally became a democracy of equals by splitting royalties, a move inspired by U2.
The 2010 reconciliation with Robbie Williams provides the emotional peak, featuring a touching shot of Williams watching his former rivals from under the stage, giving them a quiet thumbs-up.
Yet, the documentary largely skips over the last decade of the band operating as a trio. It serves as a tacit admission that their “National Treasure” status is now so secure that the drama has effectively evaporated.
The film offers a happy ending, the outlet concludes, if a slightly frictionless one, that even in comfortable middle age, Britain’s premier boy band remains a force to be reckoned with.
•Featured image: Take That in 1991 (L-R): Robbie Williams, Mark Owen, Gary Barlow, Jason Orange and Howard Donald/Getty Images
