US movie goers have claimed that they have never heard of pop star Robbie Williams and have plenty of questions about his biopic and why a monkey plays his character

There are plenty of ways to spice up a biopic, a genre of film often derided for being exasperatingly formulaic. You can play with multiple timelines, focus on a singular, specific moment in someone’s life—or,

“In real life I don’t cry that much,” Williams says and then smiles. “You have a (expletive) biography about you and have the world go, ‘I’ve seen you and heard you’ and come tell me how you deal with it.’”

First reviews are in and critics have given Robbie Williams' musical biopic Better Man excellent ratings. The semi-biographical film chronicles the singer's quick ascent to stardom as a member of Take That and subsequent precipitous decline as he grappled with his inner demons and the difficulties that come with fame.

All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Jonno Davies plays Robbie Williams as a chimp in "Better Man" from Paramount Pictures.

Review - Robbie Williams' depiction of himself as a stunningly photorealistic simian/pop star hybrid in his biopic movie fits with his amped-up brand, writes Dan Slevin.