12 Awesome Performances In Otherwise Awful 2016 Movies
2. Tom Hiddleston – I Saw The Light
When it was first announced that Tom Hiddleston would be taking on the role of legendary country musician Hank Williams in the biopic I Saw the Light some people were concerned whether or not the dyed in the wool Southern countryman could be done justice by an upper-class British actor. But then Hiddleston proved the doubters wrong, giving an exceptional performance as the tortured singer and a perfectly respectable rendition of Williams’ signature singing style. His performance even got the seal of approval from Williams’ granddaughter Holly Williams, a country musician herself, who praised the passion he put into the role.
Unfortunately though, despite some high points, the film trudges along and makes Williams’ tragically short but eventful life of phenomenal success, philandering, pill-popping and booze-guzzling seem like a drag. Director Marc Abraham’s only other directing credit is Flash of Genius, a 2008 biographical drama about the man who invented the intermittent windshield wiper. As boring as that might sound in comparison to the life of Hank Williams, it was actually a far more interesting biopic than I Saw the Light.