Originally Posted by "Ray" Movie Review
David Moll 11.15.04 JOUN_122
Movie Review - Ray FINAL DRAFT
In early 2003, director Taylor Hackford took Jamie Foxx in to meet with Ray Charles. At the time, Foxx was being considered for the lead role in "Ray". This meeting proved the acid test for Foxxs abilities as a classically trained pianist. Charles and Foxx sat down and dueled -literally- with their pianos side-by-side. After two hours of unthinkable pressure auditioning for the legend himself, Foxx earned a resounding endorsement from Charles with the words, "This is it! The kids got it!"
Truer words have never been spoken.
Like a finely polished diamond, "Ray" simply radiates beauty. It is a product of immense depth & soul, and its beauty lies in its honesty.
"Ray" goes far beyond the Ray Charles that you think you know. In a refreshingly transparent way, "Ray" carefully examines the stock from which Charles deeply emotional music is made. It delves into the many facets of Charles life as a virtuoso musician. Without sensationalizing, "Ray" shines as it reveals the darker side of Charles addiction to heroin and his well-known womanizing.
The film opens as Charles makes his move to Seattle, where he meets a teenage Quincy Jones - a crucial event in his life that cements a lasting friendship between the two artists. From the Rocking Chair nightclub, we see Charles progress as an artist and hear his inimitable style take root.
As Charles career blossoms, we see him return to his hometown of Augusta, Georgia in 1961. Confronted with the issue of playing to a segregated audience, Charles makes history by canceling his performance in protest of segregation. In the ensuing legal fallout, the state of Georgia passes a resolution barring Charles from performing.
Many years later, when he is interviewed about the issue of segregation, Charles said, "I knew being blind was suddenly an aid. I never learned to stop at the skin. If I looked at a man or a woman, I wanted to see inside. Being distracted by shading or coloring is stupid. It gets in the way. It's something I just can't see."
A refreshing distinction in "Ray" is the portrayal of the producers at Atlantic, Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler, who gave Charles the space to develop as an artist. In a genre that usually depicts music execs as bloodsuckers, Ertegun and Wexler are presented in a positive light that accurately reflects their significant contributions to Charles career.
Every artist has his vices. Charles had two: drugs and women. He only beat drugs, but "Ray" doesnt gloss over either issue. Charles wife, Della Bea, is shown as the embodiment of insight, acceptance and sadly, resignation. When one of Charles mistresses dies of a drug overdose, Bea asks him "What about her baby?"
"You knew?" says Charles. She knew everything.
Heroin proves to be a formidable adversary, both for Charles and those around him. But the story doesnt bog down in hyperbole and sensationalism - and is all the more engrossing as a result. It provides an honest reflection of the reality of drug addiction.
The film runs for 2 & ? hours and remains rich and dynamic throughout.
To cut a single scene would rob this film of its richness and honesty. As the film concludes, Charles is clearly set for his glory years, hallmarked by a brief scene set in 1979 where he receives an official apology from his home state of Georgia over the Augusta concert incident; "Georgia on My Mind" is subsequently adopted as their state song.
Taking 17 years from concept to release, "Ray" is a product of immense effort.
And in every frame that effort shows- beautifully.