Ray

Rating: 8/10 (15 February 2005)

Ray, is based on the true story of Ray Charles, the blind African American musician. The film shows us clips of Ray's childhood and how he witnessed his brother drown in a washtub and that by the age of seven he lost all sight completely. The rest of the film shows Ray's rise to the top with his music career and it also shows his rocky marriage with his wife and his addiction to heroin and other women before he went to rehab and later quit and has become one of the most popular and well known soul musicians of all time. Winner of The BAFTA Film Award for Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role (Jamie Foxx, who plays Ray Charles) and Best Sound at The BAFTA Awards, The BSFC Award for Best Actor at The Boston Society Of Film Critics Awards, The BFCA Award for Best Actor and Best Soundtrack at The Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, The FFCC Award for Best Actor at The Florida Film Critics Circle Awards, The Golden Globe Award for Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture Musical Or Comedy, The Golden Satellite Award for Best Actor In A Motion Picture Comedy Or Musical, Best Actress In A Supporting Role Comedy Or Musical (Regina King, who plays Margie Hendricks, who one Ray's band members who he has an affair with) and Best Original Screenplay at The Golden Satellite Awards, The KCFCC Award for Best Actor at The Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards, The Sierra Award for Best Actor at The Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards, The ALFS Award for Actor Of The Year at The London Critics Circle Film Awards, The NBR Award for Best Actor at The National Board Of Review, The NSFC Award for Best Actor at The National Society Of Film Critics Awards, The PFCS Award for Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role and Best Use Of Published Or Recorded Music at The Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards, The Actor Award for Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role at The Screen Actors Guild, The Seattle Film Critics Award for Best Actor at The Seattle Film Critics Awards, The SEFCA Award for Best Actor at The Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards and The The VFCC Award for Best Actor at The Vancouver Film Critics Circle. Ray, has good direction, a good script, good performances by everyone involved (I will be shocked if Jamie Foxx, does not get the Oscar for Best Actor), good original music, good cinematography, good film editing, good production design, and good costume design. A film version of Ray, has actually been planned for close to 20 years but the reason it hasn't been done until now is funding. Ray, took quite awhile for me to get into it and was a little slow starting off and I think I would of preferred if things were shown in chronological order instead of flashbacks but I enjoyed the film nonetheless. The film is well made in basically every way and the film is compelling and interested and is a good portrayal of the life of Ray Charles. I probably would have appreciated it a little more though if the screenplay was worked around with a little better but still a good film.