In an era defined by its obsession with stardom, 'Better Man', the new biopic of Robbie Williams, dares to be audacious with its portrayal of the British pop icon as a CGI chimpanzee.

Directed by Michael Gracey, best known for 'The Greatest Showman', the film offers a mesmerizing exploration of Williams' meteoric rise and tumultuous career in the music industry.

Set against the backdrop of an unrelenting fame machine, 'Better Man' uncovers the terror and triumph of achieving celebrity status.

Fame's allure and its pitfalls have fueled numerous artistic endeavors, yet 'Better Man' sets itself apart with a deeply surreal narrative device.

Williams, not as widely recognized globally as in the UK, still serves as a compelling symbol of the fame engines at work.

Michael Gracey describes the film as his pursuit of the classic tale of chasing the unattainable dream.

The CGI creation, played by Jonno Davies, provides an expressive yet haunting depiction of Williams's navigation through the human world.

Williams himself provides a candid insight into the creative choice: 'There is a surrender to the machinery of the industry that requires you to be a robot or a monkey.

I chose to be a monkey.' The film cleverly uses this narrative to depict Williams’ evolution from a young, eager performer to a man burdened by the expectations of stardom.

The narrative chronicles Williams’s initial success with Take That, a band that unlike some predecessors, didn't achieve overnight success.

The film vividly portrays the band’s early struggle, the members each earning a mere £180 over 18 months, before achieving chart-topping glory.

Through elaborate set-pieces, the film captures the euphoric highs of pop success while foreshadowing the dark descent that awaited Williams as he left Take That.

Despite his success as a solo artist, Williams's journey was fraught with personal battles against addiction and self-doubt, emotions visualized in the film by demon doppelgangers haunting his performances.

Known for his openness about his struggles, Williams has previously documented this through music and media, yet 'Better Man' distinguishes itself by adding a layer of poignancy with its unique CGI interpretation, offering an intimate glimpse into his psyche.

The film’s soundtrack pays homage to Williams's greatest hits, contextualizing them within the narrative to add depth.

Rather than functioning as a jukebox musical, each song serves to enrich the storytelling, bringing fresh perspective to familiar tunes.

'Better Man’ transcends being simply a biopic about Robbie Williams, wresting focus onto the cultural wave of the 1990s, which saw the music industry booming and fame reaching unprecedented heights.

Speaking to the BBC, Alex Kadis, former features editor of Smash Hits, comments on the era's intensity and emotional marketing, which allowed artists to forge deep connections with audiences.

The resultant pressures often led to inevitable downfall, as exemplified by Williams’s own experience.

Kadis recalls the difficulties Williams faced after leaving Take That: 'At that point, he was like a man suffering from PTSD.

He wasn’t sleeping, he was taking a lot of drugs, and he didn't know who he was anymore.' Rooted in these insights, 'Better Man’ doesn't shy away from portraying the darker side of fame, supported by Williams' own candid observations in his recent BBC series 'Boybands Forever': 'Nobody goes through that level of fame and comes out completely sane.'

Ultimately, 'Better Man' emerges not just as an account of Williams’ life but as a reflection on the pervasive nature of pop culture fame.

It serves as a cautionary tale reminding audiences of the profound pressures young artists endure.

The film, releasing in the UK and Australia on December 26, concludes on a note of redemption, yet leaves the journey open-ended; a fitting tribute to a pop sensation whose show is far from over.

This nuanced examination of celebrity is expertly penned by our music industry expert, Mr. Chris Craker.