Greetings,
Anyone who follows me on social media probably knows that I was very much anticipating the release of a movie called I Saw the Light, and also how disappointed I was when it did not come to a theater near me, as movies are wont to do. Well, now that the DVD has been released, I see now that I needn't have bothered hitting either one of those emotional extremes. And, speaking of which, the one reaction I did not anticipate was, in a word, meh. Because, honestly, that's kind of the best this movie gave me. But let's get into some deeper discussion of I Saw the Light.
I Saw the Light was released earlier this year and the hype on this thing was pretty big, probably because of its star. There were a lot of strong feelings coming from every angle about Tom Hiddleston, a British guy in his mid thirties, playing Hank Williams, a Southern, country music icon who died at the age of 29 (more on that later). Still, when all was said and done, he did look the part a bit and he certainly tried his little heart out to sound the part, but I'm not sure how convincing he was. Not to say he's a bad actor. I think I've made it clear that I don't feel that way at all. It's just that when you're playing a real person, you have to push through even harder to hide any trace of yourself. And this is not about looks. I mean, Vincent D'Onofrio was brilliant playing Abbie Hoffman, and he looks nothing like that guy, but he captured the essence. I can't honestly say that Hiddleston did the same. I have to be able to suspend my belief a little, and, back to the age thing, when he had to say his age at a certain point in the film, he had to answer..."23". I actually laughed out loud. Look, I know that ageism is a thing in Hollywood, usually more with women than men, but come on. He didn't look 23 when he was 23. No, he isn't exactly 43-year-old Kris Kristofferson trying to pass for a recent Harvard grad in Heaven's Gate, but he's also not exactly Reese Witherspoon who can be nearly 40 and pass for a 20-year-old college student in Wild. Forget Forever 21. She is Forever 16. Tom Hiddleston is not. Okay, I know I'm being harsh, and I think I've name dropped enough people who aren't even in this movie, so let's move on to something else.
I would say that this film is what I call a "List Biopic". By that, I mean it feels like someone made a list of everything that happened in Hank Williams' life, and then just crossed things off as they were added to the script. The flow of this movie was nonexistent. All the scenes were presented in this very disjointed way, almost with a staccato type rhythm. There were practically no moments that slowed things down to let us reflect on anything that was going on. It was just "This happened and then this happened and then this and this and this and then he died". What is even the heck? Calm down, mate, and give me a second to dwell on this. Oh, and about how they portrayed his death, they didn't. Of course, I didn't expect an actual death scene, and of course, they acknowledged it by making an announcement and singing the titular song, but it kind of came out of nowhere. I was hoping that they would have done something to build up the moment with some change in mood or tone or atmosphere. The only reason I knew he was going to die at the end was because I knew outside of the film. Not good. I should have gotten so lost in the film that I forgot about his dying so that I would have to be reminded by said film.
Anyway, is there anything I did like about this movie? Well, the supporting cast was pretty good. You had Bradley Whitford and Cherry Jones being their usual impressive selves, but I think Elizabeth Olsen actually did the best job of anyone. Yet again, she is showing that she is one of the stars of young Hollywood who has the most potential for a long career. Still, I don't think even she was enough to save the movie.
Look, I love a good biopic, and the best ones have heart to them. You should feel like you're getting to know the subject on a more personal level than ever before. Here, I just felt like I took a class on Hank Williams, presided over by a mediocre teacher. And while I enjoy any actor trying to spread his wings and step out of his comfort zone, I don't think this was the right way for Tom Hiddleston to do it. As I've stated, I am an admirer of his work as an actor, though I'm not at "Hiddlestoner" status. By that, I mean I have never and would never ambush him in a parking garage. That's a thing that happened. I'm sure you can still find video evidence on the YouTubes. However, if you want to watch something with him, check out The Night Manager miniseries or even Crimson Peak, two things that were much more in his wheelhouse. Heck, if you want to see Nice Guy Hiddleston go against that persona, check out some old episodes of Wallander on Netflix. He plays a guy who is a cop and kind of a jackass. There you go. Range.
So, back to I Saw the Light. No, I don't think I will be giving this a hearty recommendation. Again, if you're one of those aforementioned "Hiddlestoners" who only care about seeing the object of you adulation, go for it, if you haven't already. For everyone else, this won't be the worst movie you've ever seen if you choose to do so, but it will be far from the best.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
