Review – Taylor Hackford’s Ray (2.5 out of 3 stars)

I like the music of Ray Charles when I hear it, but I’ve never actually gone out and acquired a CD. This film has convinced me that I need a Ray Charles Robinson compilation in my music collection. It’s also a pretty good film with one annoying flaw. And Jamie Foxx will win an Academy Award for his performance in this film. (Update: He did; it wasn’t a hard call.)



Ray covers the life of Robinson from his childhood, when he lost his sight, all the way to the end of his successful music career. (Ray died in 2004.) It’s not an unusual path. From his beginnings as a bit player in a band, to being signed by Atlantic Records and finding his sound, to becoming an international icon with ABC Paramount Records. Ray has the almost obligatory bout with drugs expected of musicians and actors. Oh, and I forgot to mention that Ray was blind since the age of seven.

His blindness produces the fatal flaw that weakens the film considerably. There was a choice to tell the story of Ray’s childhood and relationship with his mother in flashback. These flashbacks are triggered by Ray’s psychosis, which was caused by his heroin addiction. This little device ruins the flow of the film. There’s this scene towards the end of the film in particular that really should have been left on the edition room floor.

Jamie Foxx is excellent in Ray, which at this point should be no surprise. Everyone has him winning the Oscar. He becomes Ray Charles – anyone who’s seen the real McCoy perform can see the mannerisms he’s become identified with.

Finally, the music is fantastic. I need the soundtrack. Or better yet, I should hunt down a double-disc greatest hits compilation or something.

Bottom line: Good show with a fatal flaw. See it anyway, but you can wait to rent it on DVD. Hope your DVD is hooked up to a nice sound system.