Ray (Widescreen Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Ray (Widescreen Edition)
Movie Review: Powerful portrayal of an imperfect genius. A must-see!
Summary: 5 Stars
A seven year-old boy has gone blind. He trips and falls in the family's small sharecropper shack, and cries for his mother. His mother wants to run over and comfort her son, but restrains herself. She knows that to function in the world he needs to learn independence. She watches as the boy stops crying, gets up, is fascinated by the sounds around him: a horse, a cricket. He follows the cricket's sound and catches it. His mother cries tears of joy-her son is learning to use his ears as his eyes and has a chance of escaping poverty.
In the segregated 1940s, a young black blind musician rides in the back of the bus to get as far from his sharecropper roots in North Florida as he can get in the continental U.S.--to Seattle. He quickly finds a gig and helps the venue owners make a lot more money than they typically made. He then discovers they're taking financial advantage of him and he strikes out on his own.
In the still-segregated 1950s, the musician, now successful, travels to Georgia to give a performance. He arrives to a protest: the segregated venue will only allow white people in his audience. Reluctantly, he agrees to play. The white person in charge of setting up the gig tells the main protestor to "Go home boy! It's always been segregated and that's the way it's always gonna be!" Ray immediately changes his mind and refuses to play. He's banned from performing the state of Georgia for life and sued. But fortunately segregation ended in his lifetime and the state of Georgia came to its senses...
Ray is a POWERFUL movie, extremely well plotted and well acted, with an awesome soundtrack. I cried in this one more than in Gone With the Wind, Terms of Endearment, and It's a Wonderful Life. It's that powerful. Good thing I was watching it at home, b/c I jumped up at times and danced to the soundtrack. Jamie Foxx earned every bit of his best actor Oscar. This isn't just an impersonation--he totally became Ray Charles and played the role literally blind. And he did a chilling, very convincing portrayal of Ray Charles detoxing from heroin. Foxx's portrayal really helped me understand Ray Charles, the complex and imperfect man behind the genius: a womanizer who loved his wife, a drug addict who had the strength to overcome his addiction, a savvy negotiator with street smarts, and more.
The supporting actors were also impressive including Sharon Warren in her debut performance, who played Ray Charles' mother a poor uneducated but very intelligent "tough love" woman who raised her son to become an educated, independent adult. The child actors who played Ray and his brother George, C.J. Sanders and Terrone Bell did a great job as well. Ray's childhood interweaves into his adult life via flashbacks, showing how both how his strengths and anxieties originated from those experiences. This movie really helped me understand Ray Charles the imperfect man behind the musical genius who was able to overcome the hand that was dealt him: growing up poor, black and blind in the segregated south.
IMO, this movie is a must-see!
Movie Review: Oh, oh, oh...that's what I said
Summary: 5 Stars
Jamie Foxx is Ray Charles. Add a strong performance by Regina ("227") King as a Raelette, another by Kerry Washington as Ray's long-devoted and put-upon wife, Sharon Warren as Ray Robinson's strong mother ("Always remember your promise to me. Never let nobody or nothing turn you into no cripple," "I'll show you how to do something once, I'll help you if you mess up twice, but the third time you're on your own. 'Cause that's how it is in the world"), and wonderful music...yowza, it's no wonder Jamie won the Best Actor award.
It took a long time to get this movie made, and Palm Springs is partly responsible for its success. Alise Benjamin and the owners of the Cinemas Palme D'Or in Palm Desert, CA invested in Taylor Hackford's vision. Thanks to the success of this movie indie movie fans in Palm Desert can "Ohhh...ohhh..." over other great movies. As Ray says, "Man, you told me if I think pennies, I get pennies. I'm thinking dollars, man."
I voted for "Ray" or "The Aviator" to win over "Million Dollar Baby." No disrespect to Clint of course. But "Ray" offered the pursuit of a dream despite obstacles, and added music rather than boxing, with a terrific empowerment message for everyone but especially the African-American community. I love this exchange between young Ray and his mother:
Aretha Robinson: Somebody'll fetch you when the bus gets to St. Augustine. When your there, show'em this.
[name tag]
Aretha Robinson: Tell them your name is Ray Charles Robinson.
Aretha Robinson: An' the sandwiches I made, don't eat them all at once... ya hear me?
Young Ray Robinson: [starting to cry] Mama... please don't make me go away. I'll keep up with the normal kids. I'll be good, just like George.
Aretha Robinson: This got nothin' to do with George... I've taken you as far as I can, baby. The teachers at St. Augustine know things I can't teach you. An' you need an education in this world.
Young Ray Robinson: I don't want no education!
Aretha Robinson: Shh! don't say that!
Young Ray Robinson: I don't! I wanna stay here with you!
Aretha Robinson: Stop it, Ray! I won't have you livin' hand to mouth like me, you hear?
[after Ray nods]
Aretha Robinson: Now... If you wanna do something to make Mama proud, promise me you'll never let nobody turn you into no cripple... You won't become no charity case. An' you will *always* stand on your own two feet.
Young Ray Robinson: I promise.
Aretha Robinson: I love you baby... I'm so proud of you.
This along with the superlative "Coach Carter" makes the Bill Cosby Daily Double for African-American self-reliance. And Jamie Foxx pays homage to strong women in our lives both with his relationship with Ray's mother in the movie and Jamie's love for his deceased grandmother on Oscar night ("We got a lot to talk about tonight.")
Movie Review: Foxx joins brilliant supporting cast in authentic biopic
Summary: 5 Stars
The buzz about this film centers mainly around the brilliance of Jamie Foxx in the title role. While these accolades aren't unjustified, the movie also benefits from a brilliant supporting cast and a laser sharp attention to detail. Best of all there is an earnest attempt on the part of the late Ray Charles and of the director to tell the story with honesty; this is a trait lacking in many biopics.
While most of the film follows Charles' life in a linear fashion, we get several short episodes from his early life, usually in the form of flashbacks on the part of the main character. The most poignant of these is the musician's recollection of his brother's death, which he witnessed firsthand. This episode, which occurred when Charles was only six, was a major source of guilt for the rest of his life.
Many viewers will appreciate that there are at least four great roles in the movie for women. While his extra-marital affairs are an unfortunate reality of the musician's life, these women are played brilliantly by Regina King and Aunjanue Ellis. Director Taylor Hackford reveals in his commentary that Sharen Warren's only credits before this film were parts in community theatre, which makes her effort as Ray's mother, Aretha Robinson, all the more impressive. Kerry Washington also shines as Della Charles, the gospel singer who would become Ray's wife.
The movie pursues Ray's double life as a man who publicly dazzles with his musical genius, but privately suffers from the demons in his soul. He uses heroin and numerous women to self-medicate and to forget his pain. His drug use continued for some time until Ray he went into rehab and faced some of his issues.
An interesting aspect of the film concerns just how Ray Charles overcame his disability. He gives clues along the way, such as the use of hard-heeled shoes so that he could hear the echoes of his footsteps against walls. He also used a numbering system so that he would always wear the right colored socks with his shirts and trousers.
Finally, for anyone who has studied the progression of popular musicians, the journey of Charles from a sound-a-like, who mimics artists such as Nat King Cole to an innovator, who blends gospel with rhythm and blues to create his own unique sound, is fascinating. One key to his musical progression was surrounding himself with people like his wife Della, who he could always count on to tell it to him "straight." Another key was the support of Atlantic Records, whose producers encouraged the young artist to develop his own sound. The lion's share of Charles' journey, of course, is due to his genius as a musician; to get into the mind of such a brilliant man would be amazing. It's a testament to this film's greatness that it can start us on that path, yet be so entertaining.
Movie Review: If you are a fan, see it ; if you aren't, see it too :)
Summary: 5 Stars
This film tells us the story of the first 40 years in the life of Ray Charles Robinson (1930-2004), a well-known American musician and composer. The actor that plays Ray Charles is Jamie Foxx, and sincerely, you forget that he is playing a role because after a few minutes of watching the movie you begin to believe that he IS Ray Charles. I guess that nothing better can be said in behalf of an actor...
You might be asking yourself what kind of movie is this. Well, in my opinion it is an excellent one, due to the fact that it entertains but also informs the spectator about another era, and a musician that lived in it. That is specially important in the case of young movie-goers, who aren't necessarily aware of what segregatation was like in the 50's, or what kind of gestures were needed to bring it down. You may have read about it in history books, but seeing it shown in a good film makes you understand segregation in its stark reality, and thank to God (and people like Ray, and many others) that times have changed.
But what about Ray?. Impossible as it may seem to many, some people (me included) didn't know much about him before seeing this film. If that is the case, this movie is the right way to be introduced to this American music legend, because it pictures Ray as a person with lots of virtues, but also many defects. He is shown as brave enough to overcome the difficulties that arose from the fact that he was blind and black (in times when segregation was a reality in the south of USA), and to pursue his dream of becoming a well-known musician. However, we also see his struggles with drug, and the less than stellar way in which he treated the women in his life (for example his wife, played by Kerry Washington, and his mistress, played by Regina King). He is flawed, but capable of gestures that make him great, for instance refusing to sing in places where the audience was segregated. He was somewhat self-absorbed, but he was a musical genius that created his own style and helped to develop soul music..
As we watch "Ray", we are allowed to accompany him in a travel through his memories, from his days as a young boy living with his mother (played by Sharon Warren), to the days when he had already achieved great fame but had many problems dealing with it. The director (Taylor Hackford) manages to do that aided by the songs Ray Charles composed at different times in his career, an interesting way to link different events of significance in Ray's life.
On the whole, I can say that this is the kind of movie you must see. If you are already a Ray Charles' fan, you will love this movie about his life. If you aren't, you are highly likely to become one. In any case, you will enjoy it enormously :)
Belen Alcat
Movie Review: "Ray" of light, hope,sunshine and anything else that goes...
Summary: 5 Stars
"Ray" is a great film. I must say that the film does follow the standard formula of the Hollywood biography pic, but it is the performances that raise this move from simply very good to great--even outstanding. It is as if every actor in the film realized this was the opportunity of a lifetime and brought their A game, and based on the way Hollywood treats Black actors, they were right to do so! Jamie Foxx is a revelation as Ray Charles. I cannot even imagine there being another performance this year to match this one. It truly deserves to go down in history as one of the greatest screen achievements in film. It is true that you forget that you are even watching Jamie Foxx...he is that awesome. The Oscar is as good as his!!
That said, I also want to spend some time heralding the other actors in this film. Sharon Warren, in her film debut, is superb as Ray's mother. Warren captures the spirit of this determined woman with a mix of grit, vulnerability and compassion. She and the little boy who plays Ray as a youngster, C. J. Samuels, are both heartbreakingly good! Clifton Powell is fantastic as Ray ever loyal assistant, and Bokeem Woodbine has never been better than he is as Fathead Newman. I wish we could have seen more of the youthful vigor and energy that Larenz Tate brings to the role of Quincy Jones. Aunjanue Ellis is also very effective as one of Ray's mistresses, Mary Ann Fisher.
Kerry Washington is fabulous as Della Bea, Ray's long suffering and put-upon wife. The scene when she explains to Ray that their newborn son is not a gift from her to him and how his life on the road must not find its way in the home she is making for their family is powerful and the scene when Ray tells her of the death of Margie Hendrix is just as stunning. Washington is an incredible actress and "Ray" lets her shine!
Finally, there aren't enough words to champion the vastly underrated Regina King. Her name MUST be called with Jamie Foxx's the day Oscar nominations are announced in January. Her Margie Hendrix is a blistering hybrid of passion, weakness, love and compassion, and every emotion is firmly etched on King's face. The "Hit the Road Jack" scene is so raw and painful, and King matches Foxx's performance emotion for emotion, word for word, pain for pain, blues for blues. Regina King is a miracle worker, and it is high time she is acknowledged for the incredible work she is contributing to American film. Please remember this performance at Oscar time!!!!!
Please see "Ray." All of the actors in the film deserve your support. They have truly thought enough of us, the film going public, to give their very, very, very best!!!