Movie Review

Ray

Ray is a film that sees the genius in Jamie Foxx, but sadly not in its own subject. It begins by skipping back and forth between the starting stages of Charles? career and his childhood in Alabama. His younger life includes being the son of wash woman, losing his little brother, and going blind because of glaucoma. The last part becomes a determining factor in how Ray learned to fend for himself.

Years later, a teenage Ray (Jamie Foxx) is on his way to Seattle to make a name for himself. There he meets Quincy Jones (Larenz Tate) and becomes a talented lackey for "The McSon Band". Only once people start hearing this young piano player, record producers start knocking on his door; one is Ahmet Ertegun (Curtis Armstrong) from Atlantic Records. These two have a long history together starting with the song "Mess Around". He also meets the woman he is destined to marry, Della Bea (Kerry Washington), but to Ray that doesn't mean he can't have his women when he is on the road either, or a heroin addiction. Heroin consumes him and leads to the death of one of his young back-up singers.

This is Jamie Foxx's year. He has been poised to become a gigantic star ever since he was able to hold his own with Pacino in "Any Given Sunday.? This year he proved it again when he went one on one with Tom Cruise in "Collateral.? Now, with this stunning transformation in "Ray,? Oscar glory seems all the more closer. Foxx captures everything from the teetering walk to the soulful way Charles talked to create an impersonation that doesn't look or feel like an impersonation at all. But this is more than just a copy: Foxx goes deep to deliver a pained and tortured performance that stands as the most resonating and emotional of the year ? he really makes this movie.

The rest of Ray is heavy handed and forgettable. The only part of the script that really separates it from any other bio-picture is that Charles was blind, and he had to use his brain to stay one step ahead of managers willing to take advantage of that. Otherwise this is a very long and drawn out melodrama about drugs, womanizing, poor family life and various other sidebars that come with celebrity. Even the enlivened musical tracks wear out their welcome after a while. What we don't get a lot of, though, is Charles? personality, or information as to why blending gospel and soul is reason enough to celebrate a man with a two and a half hour movie. Maybe I'm just in a generation that doesn't get Charles? appeal, but this movie doesn't do much in the way of teaching it to me. It's worth seeing for Jamie Foxx's incredible performance, but the rest of the film feels sadly less important.

Craig's Grade: C+

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%