I came out of the womb with jazz hands,” pop star Robbie Williams recounts in “Better Man,” his new biopic. Williams became the hugest of stars in his native Britain, making 14 No. 1 singles and performing to screaming crowds (though he never gained traction in the United States.

If it’s true that your age freezes the day you become famous, then the British pop star Robbie Williams is stuck at 16. So he says near the end of “Better Man," the biopic he produced. “I’m unevolved," he confesses. No kidding — throughout the entire film, Williams is portrayed as an ape.

I’m not kidding. And neither are “Better Man” subject Robbie Williams nor the film’s director Michael Gracey. This rise, fall and very fast 12-step recovery saga of the English singing sensation few Americans know presents Williams as a CG chimpanzee.

The film is a visual spectacle and there's heart at the core of the story, making for a balanced dive into Robbie Williams' rise to pop stardom.

Maybe he would, I don’t know.” Robbie Williams poses for photographers upon arrival at the European premiere for the film 'Better Man' on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in London. Credit: AP/Scott A Garfitt “Maybe this film moves the needle for me,

Robbie Williams being portrayed as a CGI ape in Better Man could have been a simple gimmick, but it actually has thematic meaning within the story.