Ray Charles, the name should ring a bell. He was one of the best musicians of the 20th century, and also one of the most troubled. Coming from a tough childhood where he turned blind at the tender age of 7, and having the trauma of having witnessed his brother’s death, the odds were never good ... Read review
Jamie Foxx's uncannily accurate performance isn't the only good thing aboutRay. Riding ... more
high on a wave of Oscar buzz, Foxx proved himself worthy of all the hype by portraying blind R&B legend Ray Charles in a warts-and-all performance that Charles approved shortly before his death in June 2004. Despite a few dramatic embellishments of actual incidents (such as the suggestion that the accidental drowning of Charles's younger brother caused all the inner demons that Charles would battle into adulthood), the film does a remarkable job of summarising Charles's strengths as a musical innovator and his weaknesses as a philandering heroin addict who recorded some of his best songs while flying high as a kite. Foxx seems to be channeling Charles himself, and as he did with the life of Ritchie Valens inLa Bamba, director Taylor Hackford gets most of the period details absolutely right as he chronicles Ray's rise from "chitlin circuit" performer in the early '50s to his much-deserved elevation to legendary status as one of the all-time great musicians. Foxx expertly lip-syncs to Ray Charles' classic recordings, but you could swear he's the real deal in a film that honors Ray Charles without sanitising his once-messy life. --Jeff Shannon
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Advantages: Foxx's protrayl of Ray is simply awesome. Very moving film. Disadvantages: Directing could be a lot better. Slightly repetitive.
Ray Charles, the name should ring a bell. He was one of the best musicians of the 20th century, and also one of the most troubled. Coming from a tough childhood where he turned blind at the tender age of 7, and having the trauma of having witnessed his brother’s death, the odds were never good for Ray Charles Robinson. But against all the claims he couldn’t do it, Ray proved his critics wrong, and went onto huge success. How fitting it is then that ... ...and legacy”.
Ray Charles was born on the 30th September 1930, and lived until the ripe age of 74, when he died after the filming of Ray, sadly he never made it to the premier. He was born into extreme poverty in the South of the United States, which was very racially segregated. He grew up in a black colony, almost living in squalor, and with just his brother and mother, manager to make ends meet. When Ray was only at the tender age ... more
Ray Charles, the name should ring a bell. He was one of the best musicians of the 20th century, and also one of the most troubled. Coming from a tough childhood where he turned blind at the tender age of 7, and having the trauma of having witnessed his brother’s death, the odds were never good for Ray Charles Robinson. But against all the claims he couldn’t do it, Ray proved his critics wrong, and went onto huge success. How fitting it is then that a film be made dedicated to showing the event of his life, and how they shaped; an honest portrayal that would not only account his high times, but also his lows such as his heroin addiction and his affairs with other women.
Universal studios distributed the film, although no studio decided they wished to back it, so like the real Ray’s struggle the film paralleled the fight for success. The film was shot in 2004, and released in the UK on the 21st January 2005 nationwide. It made £485,000 in it’s opening weekend in the UK, and so can be considered quite a success, although no doubt it didn’t set the movie going world on fire. The film itself was meet with mixed feeling in the press with the flick getting good to average reviews from most critics, and very good reviews from some certain publications. For example Empire, easily the best UK movie magazine, gave it a very high 4 stars out of 5 and said “Foxx's performance is nothing short of amazing, and Hackford's film overall does fine justice to Charles' musical legend and legacy”.
Ray Charles was born on the 30th September 1930, and lived until the ripe age of 74, when he died after the filming of Ray, sadly he never made it to the premier. He was born into extreme poverty in the South of the United States, which was very racially segregated. He grew up in a black colony, almost living in squalor, and with just his brother and mother, manager to make ends meet. When Ray was only at the tender age of 7 the doctors told him he was going blind, and that the process was irreversible. Despite all the odds against him, Ray was determined not to let his disability rule his life, and went on with his love of the piano and music career, and became one of the greatest musicians to have ever lived.
Jamie Foxx as Ray is brilliant, in fact he won an academy award for the role in the 2005 Oscars. He captures the essences, in every perspective; physically, mentally verbally etc, brilliantly, and carries the movie to heights it would not have reached without him. A little known fact is that Foxx was a huge Ray fan, and spent a lot of time with the musician during production to enter the role well, and infact at one stage even jammed with him during a practise. Another little known fact is that the piano music in the film, is all Foxx’s actual piano work. Foxx pulls the film together brilliantly, and is the role winner of this film, apart from Ray. A brilliant performance like this ensures future roles, and going down in history as one of the best actors of 2004/5.
Unlike some drama films in which the character is very much a hero or a villain, Ray is not black and white, infact it’s a more kind of charcoal grey. At times you emphasize with Ray greatly, and love him to bits, and just wish the best for him, such as when he is getting the bus journey from the south to Seattle, which is a huge journey for a blind guy. Other times, you want to yell at the TV “What are you doing Ray?”, and give him a slap, like when he starts to do heroin or when he starts an affair behind his pregnant wife’s back. This again means the film is very realistic, and adds to the feeling that the portrayal of Ray being shown on the screen is fairly accurate. But at the same time, it’s hard to watch a film when at some points you cannot relate or support anyone main character, so in a sense one of the film’s strongest points is also its downfall.
Ray’s heroin addiction is a pivotal part of the movie. It is times almost credited to being the driving power behind his awesome performances, and inspiration for his songs, and also shown to have a crippling effect on his life and family. The images of this nice mannered, kind hearted guy becoming hooked on the stuff is very moving, especially during the conflict scenes in which his wife tries to cap his addiction. The film would have been seen as very passé to have ignored his drug addiction, and yet they choose not to revel in it, they present the heroin abuse in a really mature and well mannered way. It is one of the lowest parts of Ray Charle’s life, and the transfer onto film clearly shows this.
The music in the film is awesome, as would be expected. Real Ray Charle’s ballads accompany the soundtracks, so as when you are watching Ray refuse to play in Georgia you are also listening to his infamous track “Georgia On My Mind”. It was never a doubt in any movie critic’s mind that the soundtrack to this flick would not be very strong, and the film proves what a great artist Ray was. Infact the soundtrack is so good it makes you want to buy some of his records after watching it, and there are lots of his CDs, including the definite collection, available cheap off the usual CD websites.
From slums in Harlem to suburbs in Beverly Hills the locations in this film are plentiful. Ray’s apartment in Harlem is shockingly small, and his house in Beverly Hills is so big it has to be seen to be believed. And these contrasting points are emphasised on effectively during the course of the film. It’s not till you see how poorly he lived when he started his music career until you realize that he had so little money, and this location is an effective way of making the viewer aware of this fact. The locations are used to their full potential, although they are nearly all bleak and dreary, even in Bev. Hills.
Do not expect to watch this film and not be moved. The film from start to finish is moving, on more levels than one. You really feel like you connect with Ray, and feel his pain at times of his great needs. The film is real eye opener, especially to casual fans of Ray Charles who probably wouldn’t know much about his background or circumstances, or to a younger generation who maybe wouldn’t really know who he was, for example my little brother. Although this film probably won’t make you gush with tears, and make you get through a whole box of Kleenex in one night, it will make you reflect on your life and Ray’s life even after the credits have rolled.
Ray was directed and adapted for the screen by Taylor Hackford, who was also responsible for directing other block busters such as Proof of Life, The Devil’s Advocate, and Against All Odds. As with most biographical films, the directing is nothing to write home about, and no fancy screen shots or filmographic techniques are used. The writing, although not amazing, is made special by Foxx’s superb delivery and personification of Ray, so in that sense the writing is well suited. The writing/ directing could be better, but because of the genre in which Ray fits, it does not hold the film back at all, and makes the film appear very naturalistic.
One of the only downsides to the whole film in my opinion, was that I found it to be quite repetitive. The film is quite long, over 2 hours, and at times the same things seem to be happening over and over. Thankfully, this does not detract the film from it’s course too much, but it does mean at time it becomes quite a struggle to keep your full attention to the flick and not wander off or become a little bored at certain points.
Ray is a very moving film. It’s portray of one of the greatest music talents who ever walked the planets is so real it’s breathtaking. It has cemented Jamie Foxx as one of the biggest stars heading onto the big screen and I’m sure he will not be short of movie role offers after Ray. The brutally honest depiction of Ray Charles will not crush his fan’s love of him, but simply open their eyes to the odds he faced and how his unadulterated determination over came. This is a true success story, and as the credit roles down you will feel a sense of great sadness but also a sense of fulfilment for the main role. I would have to say I had quite great expectations when I switched the film on, and although they weren’t met on all levels, you are left with a feeling that you really have witnessed history.
Ray is certificate 15 because of the heroin use (I would say it was be ok to watch with anyone above the age of ten as long as they were watching it with an adult), and was released in cinemas in January 2005. I didn’t get to the cinema in time, so I bought a Region 1 DVD of the film for about £8 from www.DVDsoon.com. It has a running time of 152 minutes.
Advantages: Really innovative. One of the best reenactment of a legend Disadvantages: Some unneccesary Inclusion.
Ray Charles.... The act......
One of the best reenactment of a legend I have ever watched. It's really touching. When I was watching the advert alone, I was moved. :" The story of a man who fought harder and went farther than anyone thought possible". That's really true. And the man who reenacted this legend? Oh! Jammie Foxx did a really great job, he really transformed himself into Ray Charles. He brought out perfectly the life and career of him,made ... ...was really extraordinary.
Ray Charles..... The Legend.....
I dont wanna call him "the man" here, let's give honour to whom it is due, Ray is a legend, not a man.Or what else should we use to describe a man who went against all odds, despite being blind (completely) to become one of the greatest American pianist in the world?(yes I say in the world) Ray is a legend. His life has not been rosy at all right from his birth.He came from an ''impoverished'', ...
tomi111 10.05.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Ray DVD
Advantages: A little knowledge about musical history. Disadvantages: Overacted to some extent.
...and loved the music of Ray Charles for most of my life, I was unsure as to how he could accurately be portrayed by an actor. This film is about the story of a man who has left a mark in the music industry that is hard to follow, with his wonderfully original voice and style, though until watching the movie, I had no idea about the sadness that haunted Ray for most of his life.
It is strange how childhood events can shape a human being's future, ... ...her work paid off, and Ray found his way into the musical circus, giving legendary renditions of his songs at the height of his career, enhanced by his heroin habit.
There are moments during the film that you sympathise with the character of Ray Charles, and others where you question what fame actually made him into although no one can deny the man had a certain charisma in his musical style which took him from being a small time musician to one ...
thingywhatsit 30.09.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Ray DVD
Advantages: Wonderful performances, great soundtrack, great insight into Ray's life Disadvantages: Some unanswered questions (probably deliberate though)
Ray, a biopic of singer Ray Charles, is one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year (or in the case of us Brits, the following year!), and it doesn't disappoint. What it does do (for people like myself who have basically no knowledge of the singer apart from knowing some of his famous songs) is surprise and inform, along with entertain and, perhaps, inspire. The thing that surprised me most about this film was its disarming candour. The frankness ... ...mathematician John Nash's paranoid schizophrenia, Ray Charles' demons were largely self-induced. His upbringing by his poor mother (absent father) in a shanty town with very little in the way of material possessions, a childhood tragedy (I won't tell you what it is as that could ruin a large part of the film for you), and a medical condition leading to blindness which limited even further his educational opportunities combined to give him a very ...
CaptainDisaster 31.05.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Ray DVD
Advantages: Great music and cinematography Disadvantages: Too long, schmaltzy and predictable
...me to go.
The Ray Charles story is one which is perfect for dramatization in a Hollywood movie and this film follows his career from playing in bands in the Deep South through to the height of his stardom when he played to packed audiences in some of America’s biggest venues. The story is told in a film montage style with occasional flashbacks to his childhhood and using newspaper headlines to join the episodes.
I feel that I can give a succinct ... ...the Ray Charles’ life story is one that is well known; this film does not reveal any secrets hidden long in the past. This is not a film that makes any contentious claims about the performer or his family. Secondly, Charles’ life is so typical of many celebrities who see their stories translated to the silver screen that you just know what is going to happen anyway. This is almost screenplay by numbers.
Ray Charles was born into a poor family in ...
fizzytom 01.02.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Ray DVD
Advantages: Stunning music score and an unmatchable performance from Jamie Foxx Disadvantages: Lacks substance, heart and brevity.
...present.
Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, is the closest as you'd ever see of an true modern day Oscar winning performance, his talent already burgeoning in ‘Collateral’, has Charles' distinctive mannerisms minutely accurate, no comic head swinging but a precise and confident performance. A side note on Jamie Foxx. Long tipped take the part of Zane in a movie adaptation of Anthony Piers’ ‘On a Pale Horse’ I seriously recommend you to get a copy of this ... ...a screenplay that often casts Ray Charles in a negative light, no ‘rose-tinted’ representation, of Charles’ character flaws making for what would seem a solid base for as true to reality bio-pic as possible, but it is also difficult to like him from an audience perspective outside of the music.
‘Ray’s' second strongest attributes, after Foxx’s first-rate portrayal, is the soundtrack, featuring virtually all of Ray Charles' hits, these just electrify ...
klclare 07.02.2005 (08.02.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Ray DVD
Advantages: Well acted, great music Disadvantages: Too long
.
AGE SUITABILITY
"Ray" contains little in the way of sex, violence or swearing. There are, however, several scenes involving the use of drugs.
DVD
Available for £10 from Amazon, but widely available at half that price. Probably one to rent rather than buy though.
EXTRAS
A pretty poor effort on the Extras front really. There is the almost-obligatory commentary plus, unbelievably, an extended version of the film....as if 2 and a half hours isn't enough. I did start watching this extended version, however there is a pause before each deleted scene and a noticeable reduction in quality. This makes an already disjointed film almost unwatchable.
SUMMARY
Ray Charles was an extrodinarily talented performer; one of music's true geniuses. His story is an inspiring tale of one man's triumph over disability and discrimination ...
stevek181 24.11.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Ray (DVD)
Advantages: Stays close to reality, Jamie Foxx's amazing performance, music is brilliant, overall great Disadvantages: You might want to take a break in the middle to prevent numb-bum syndrome.
What'd I say? (That's right I'm cracking out the puns) I say it's an extrordinary film about the genius of Ray Charles, the musician and his life - from growing up in a poor area in Florida and slowly turning blind, to becoming one of the worlds greatest musicians. This film features excellent acting by all involved, the classic Ray Charles hits, which punctuate the performance well and a tragic but ultimately uplifting story of a man who is truly iconic.
The DVD
The film itself is 146 minutes long and is rated a 15 certificate. I'd say this is pretty fair due to the harrowing scenes involving Ray's heroin use and subsequently getting clean. Although, for a modern young audience I wouldn't say that any of the material was shocking or traumatic.
You can buy Ray on DVD from online retailers such as Play and Amazon ...
Ottavia 18.08.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Ray (DVD)
Fisher
Julien Kramer ----> Jamie Foxx (voice)
Sharon Warren ----> Aretha Robinson
C.J. Sanders ----> Young Ray Robinson
Curtis Armstrong ----> Ahmet Ertegun
Richard Schiff ----> Jerry Wexler
Larenz Tate ----> Quincy Jones
Technical Details
---------------------
Certificate: 15
Length: 146 mins
No. of DVDs: 2.
Widescreen
Packaging
-------------
Comes in a standard DVD case, with a picture of a Ray on the cover.
Bonus Material
------------------
You get the usual scene selection which consists of 28 different scenes.
The language selection and subtitles are only in English.
There is an extended versions of the film which includes several scenes omitted from the theatrical version. I did find that this caused the film not to run as smoothly as the edit version.
You also ...
christianfilmcritic 26.01.2006 (28.01.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Ray (DVD)
![Ray [DVD] [2004]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78494423.jpg "Ray [DVD] [2004]")
