Ray

As a kid, I remember the Diet Pepsi commercials featuring Ray Charles very well ("You got the right one, baby! Uh-huh!") I have always known him with grey hair and so it was interesting to see him at the start & height of his career. I love "Rags to Riches" stories and the drama of this movie make it even more engaging to watch. The acting and use of music are the best qualities of “Ray”. There is also a good use of contrast by the way Ray Charles’ music is used sometimes. The movie itself is a “Rags to Riches” story in that it took 15 years to get it made and that it was produced independently on a somewhat low budget. I am also happy that the film portrays drugs and immorality in a negative light.

The film is also an underdog story in that a blind man wants to make it big without being taken advantage of. The non-linear plotline helps us see where Ray came from and how events in his childhood relates to his adult life. The film also depicts others who enjoyed the benefits of Ray’s success such as Bea and Fathead. Ahmet is one of my favorite characters in the movie. He is the one that inspires Ray to find his own voice instead of imitating the other big names of the day. He and Bea help him to mix R & B and gospel music. When Ray needs a band, I like how he uses members of the band he was in before Atlantic. I love the scene when Ray and Bea get married because Fathead is jokingly trying to talk Ray out of it and Jeff is trying to direct Ray as he carries Bea through the door. The film takes the songs of Ray Charles and incorporates them into his life’s story. They take on a subtext such as “What kind of Man Are You?” During that song, Margie is gradually replacing Mary Ann. One of my favorite scenes is when “What’d I Say” is created. We feel the fun of the moment and marvel at the fact that this was a true event in Ray’s career. I like how Ray wants to give Atlantic the chance to match ABC’s offer and not just make him a better offer. It shows how much he likes Atlantic. I am also very happy that Ray and Ahmet part on good terms. The recording session for “Georgia on my Mind” seems so genuine and that can be said for almost every scene where we see a song being played. The special effects for the Indianapolis concert are pretty seamless. There is one brief shot in that scene where the Raelettes are in awe of the large crowd before them and it shows just how far Ray has come. After Ray’s world tour, we see his own recording studio and mansion plus the party by the pool with Jeff cooking on the barbeque. It sure contrasts Ray’s upbringing and early years as a musician but also, these images are meant to contrast the phone call informing Ray that Margie overdosed. The character of Joe Adams may be seen as an antagonist that separates Jeff away from Ray and the film isn’t clear whether Jeff stole or not but I personally like Joe as a character.

All the actors in “Ray” were outstanding. As co-producer Ray Charles Robinson Jr. and others watched Jamie Foxx on the set, they would be in awe at how much Foxx resembled the real Ray Charles. After winning the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award, it wasn’t a big surprise when Foxx won Best Actor at the Oscars. Considering who he was up against that year at the Academy Awards, it is a wonderful achievement. He was even nominated that same year for Best Supporting Actor for another film. You believe that Foxx is the one singing on screen even though it is the real Ray’s voice in almost every case. Foxx has Ray’s smile down pat as well as his mannerisms. Curtis Armstrong’s performance as Ahmet stands apart from his film roles of the 80’s and his many TV roles. I really enjoy Larenz Tate as Quincy Jones because we get to see this musician at two points in his career. He starts out as a young kid trying to make it big in Seattle and later shows up rich & famous. You marvel at the transformation both acting-wise and with the costume. Sharon Warren as Aretha, Ray’s mother, was very impressive and unforgettable because this is Warren’s introductory role. She has never even been on TV. Ray Charles himself approved of Sharon’s portrayal of the most important woman in his life. It was also great to see Warwick Davis, Regina King and Terrace Howard in “Ray”.

The Oscars recognized this wonderful movie with deserved nominations for costume design, editing, directing and Best Picture. Unfortunately, Clint Eastwood produced “Million Dollar Baby” the same year. A movie about a blind man must have great sound and the sound mixing team won an Oscar for their work. The synchronization with the music is flawless. Paul Hirsch, the Oscar winning editor from “Star Wars”, did very well with his rhythmical editing. I like the fact that Pawel Edelman, the cinematographer from “The Pianist”, was the cinematographer for this movie. Ray Charles did get to listen to the film before he passed thankfully and he had a large say throughout its production. Ray made recordings for his biopic and he also met with Jamie Foxx before he was cast. Also, Ray won a Grammy posthumously for the soundtrack of this film. This film portrays affairs, money and drugs as false sources of true happiness and David Fincher would later do the same with “The Social Network”. The acting in “Ray” and the use of Mr. Charles’ music are very noteworthy. Ray created soul music and his biographical film piece has a lot of soul.

4 Stars