Konterr Brilliant and touching

Inadvands Boring, over-political, tech fuzed mess

Whitech It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Lechuguilla Strumming his guitar and singing the songs he made famous, Hank Williams (Sneezy Waters), together with his band, entertains an audience at a typical roadside bar in this fictional account of what might have been, if the night of December 31, 1952 had been a little different. On that night in real life, Williams traveled by car from Montgomery, Alabama to perform a show in Charleston, West Virginia. He died en route.Director David Acomba uses that cold, snowy nighttime road trip as a structural frame, with Williams in the backseat talking about his life, his problems, his dreams, and his regrets. These brief interludes punctuate the fantasy performance at the bar, wherein individual songs introduce new sequences, in lieu of standard script plot points.Aside from the terrific music, what's really striking is the excellent cinematography. My best guess is that the DP used 16mm, low saturation film stock, resulting in grainy visuals, combined with sepia-toned hues of mostly browns, tans, and grays. There's little variation in the color palette. The photography creates a melancholy, almost depressing mood, and implies a dreamlike journey back in time.The film's costumes and prod design reflect the reality that the Great Depression had not completely gone away. Threadbare clothes, a wooden floor, plain overhead lights and other props imply hard times. Even Williams' outfit, though countrified, is not flashy.One would be hard pressed to find a better actor than Sneezy Waters for the role of Williams. His looks and that Southern vocal delivery scream Hank Williams.Minor complaints include my understanding that the film was not shot in the American South. I think it should have been. Second, I could have done without the little monologues Williams imparts to the audience. And the film's ending is a tad too doleful for my taste.The early 1950s were tough for working folks. Hank Williams, with his heartfelt, down-home songs came along at just the right time with just the right music for the common man and woman. This film captures not only the Hank Williams persona but also an era that is gone forever.

runamokprods Maybe I overreacted because my expectations were low, but I thought this was a very impressive, touching and original piece of tiny-budget indie filmmaking. As a drug-sick, alcoholic Williams takes a last limo ride, he imagines a concert in a small time honk-tonk, reaching out and touching people one on one in a way his fame had long made impossible. Corny at moments, but with a terrific heart, and a wonderful leading performance by Sneezy Waters I found myself ready to forgive its shortcomings, and embrace its strengths. I'll be curious to see it again, and see if I have as strong a reaction. Certainly I loved the music far more than I expected, and I am no big country music fan.

vitaleralphlouis People who know Hank Williams know that he wasn't just the greatest star of country music who ever lived, he was the greatest who ever will live. With license on personal loan from God himself, Hank reached into the hearts of many of us when we were in a dark corner of our lives and helped pull us back. This miraculous film originated in London as a stage play and now comes to us as a video from Canada. The entire action takes place within a two hour time frame on the New Years Eve when Hank died. It envisions his going into a smoky bar and playing a show for the folks. The story is told through his songs and remarks. Important to know is that the show's creator fully understood Hank's legacy and thereby touches all the right buttons. This is the most emotional movie I've ever seen and I'm personally on a diet allowing no more than one screening every two years for the emotional drain of watching it. On the other hand, I've seen people watch it and simply enjoy the ample good music, with no trace of the buckets of tears that one might observe if they watched with me.

Allan FINEBERG I've loved the songs and the singing of Hank Williams for many years. When I saw this film I felt as though I were watching Hank himself. The actor who portrays him is excellent, the songs wonderful. My only criticism is that the film could have been an hour or two longer, with a lot more songs. Any Hank Williams fan would have to love this movie.