Enjoyable, if lengthy, biopic of a music legend

Rating: 9/10 (15 September 2004)

I knew comparatively little about the life of Ray Charles Robinson before seeing this film. Although not being particularly "into" his music, I could say he was an artist of whom I had never heard a track I disliked. I was invited to a preview screening of "Ray", and was interested to attend.
This was a film charting Charles' early career through to the mid 60s, when he was arguably at the height of his popularity. Along the way he gets married, has affairs (several), encounters prejudice and bigotry, struggles to conquer the poverty of his roots, and slides ever deeper into the grip of heroin addiction. This is all engagingly and dramatically told, with a liberal smattering of humour. The film held my attention throughout. Although by the end I was nagged by a sense that it had been about 20 minutes too long, I couldn't have said exactly where or when it could have been cut. On reflection perhaps the middle section, and in particular a sub-plot about one of Ray's affairs, could have been excised, particularly if it had given way to a little more exposition in the climax, which felt a little rushed.
There are two over-riding reasons to make time to see this film. Firstly, the songs of Ray Charles (provided for the movie, we are told, in both "new and original recordings"). I had never particularly appreciated that the melding of genres (gospel with R&B) was so revolutionary at the time and informative of music since. Second is the towering, monumentally impressive performance by Jamie Foxx as Charles. He completely embodied the man without ever stooping to mere impersonation. I hope his achievement is acknowledged with, at very least, an Oscar nomination; there are no performances in the last year which I can remember which immediately strike me as more worthy of actually taking the award. Foxx is certainly one to watch.
Overall this isn't a perfect film by any means, and could definitely have been tighter. But its pros considerably outweigh its cons, and I would definitely recommend it.
*** 1/2 (of 5)