"Better Man" is a live-action biopic about Williams in which he's portrayed as a chimpanzee, unlike everyone else in the film. No characters comment on his appearance, however. The movie follows his story of great fame and great talent, battling with emotional pain, illness and estrangement with his father.

There are moments in "Better Man," the often thrilling biopic of unabashedly cheeky U.K. pop star Robbie Williams, where you forget you're watching a CGI monkey in the lead role.

It's not that the film's subject — bad boy pop star Robbie Williams — is offensive by any means, though his wry and self-effacing humor might not appeal to audiences with a low tolerance for that particular British register.