Ray Review
by Wahid Sharif (moodybastard_717 AT hotmail DOT com)November 10th, 2004
Ray (2004)
reviewed by
Wahid Sharif
Memo to the Academy: If Jamie Foxx doesn't win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his dynamic and multi-layred performance in "Ray", then all of you seriously need your heads examined thoroughly. Trust me when I say this: Foxx's performance, isn't simply just him mimicking Ray Charles. Foxx brings a lot of heart and emotion in his performance and it's complimented by script that pulls no punches as to how Ray Charles lived his life.
Driven by a family tragedy, and his blindness at age seven, Ray Charles (Jamie Foxx) becomes a living example of how a jubilant thing known as the human spirit can make anyone overcome their limitations, both physically and emotionally. Due to the love and toughness of his mother Aretha (Sharon Warren) who makes him promise to overcome his blindness, Ray acquires a love a music, plays the piano, and becomes one the most universally celebrated R&B/Gospel/Country music performers ever. Along the way, he deals with the other women in his life, including his long suffering wife Della Bea (Kerry Washington) and his mistress Margie Hendricks (Regina King), and struggles to overcome his addiction to heroin.
"Ray" is directed by Taylor Hackford, and to me, this is his best film. Hackford has, in my opinion, resorted to overwrought melodrama his some of his other films, including "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Everybody's All American". This time, he works with a screenplay that's tighter (even though the film is two and half hours long) and has a lot of character depth. Because of the tragedy of his childhood, we understand why Ray drives himself to become addicted to heroin, and due to the relationship with his mother, we understand why Ray continues to search for mother figures throughout this story, even though he treats the women in his life badly. Combine these elements with the wonderful music that will have you moving in your seat, and the solid supporting performances from Warren, Washington, and King, "Ray" becomes a biography for the ages.
GRADE: A
Wahid Sharif
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