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Mar 24, 2016 By Julia Bembenek Web Exclusive

The story of country legend Hank Williams, I Saw The Light is a slickly-produced entry in the music biopic genre. The ostensible fulcrum of the narrative is the tumultuous relationship between Williams (Tom Hiddleston) and his first wife Audrey (Elizabeth Olsen). There’s not nearly enough chemistry written in for the drama of the relationship to tell the whole story, so director Marc Abraham brings in some disjointed “documentary” interview clips where Williams’ champion Fred Rose (Bradley Whitford) talks through transitions that don’t fit within the emotional arc of Williams’ personal and marital demise.

A lot of reference is made to Williams’ historical hard-living ways, but what we see is milder; a guy with a bad marriage who drinks a little too much at parties and comes to a tragic end due to someone else’s misjudgment. Hiddleston strives to go deeper, but outside of a few illuminating moments, like a scene where Williams sullenly cuts a Hollywood executive down to size, the film leaves its star treading water. From a musical perspective - usually a reliably entertaining aspect of the genre - there is little spark, only an unimaginative run-down of Williams’ best-known numbers. It’s a shame, since Williams’ blue-yodeled phrasings are expertly crafted, inimitable, and speak to universally resonant feelings. The historical facts feel overtly dictated, and the emotional ties needed to win the audience over are hazily sketched.

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Author rating: 2.5/10