I Saw the Light

Tom Hiddleston is the shining light in an otherwise drab portrait of country singing legend Hank Williams, who died in 1953 aged just 29. Writer/director Marc Abraham (producer of popcorn movies such as 2014's RoboCop) lets one scene drift into the next without punctuation, focusing primarily on the marriage between Hank and his first wife Audrey - a relationship marred by professional and personal jealousy. While Elizabeth Olsen gives Audrey plenty of fire, her role here is, essentially, to be the ball and chain that drags Hank down, inspiring sympathy for him despite his indiscretions. And his mama (Cherry Jones) is a nag, too. Hank is brought to vivid life by Hiddleston on stage (singing the title song and a memorable rendition of Your Cheatin' Heart) and in darker moments while battling both the bottle and his spouse. But he comes across as a passive character in his own life story, his spark of genius muted by the banality of the domestic drama, which peters out with little rhythm or enlightenment.