Is it a great performance or a great impersonation?

Rating: 5/10 (26 January 2005)

Director Taylor Hackford doesn't have to work hard to get Ray Charles on our side: the opening scene, with Ray outsmarting a bigoted redneck, gets you smiling and immediately we're off on Ray's adventure. It seems like a good start, but despite the fact that Ray is a sympathetic, interesting character on-screen, it's tough to believe much of what we're seeing is real (and that's because it follows a tried-and-true Hollywood formula, right down to showing us headlines to push the narrative forward). The production is very handsome, the supporting characters fairly well-drawn, and Jamie Foxx is solid and commendable. Is he really feeling Ray Charles down to his marrow or is this just a terrific Ray Charles impersonation? Hard to tell from the way this half-fabricated story plays out: it is a slick, assembly-line bio-pic. Fun for one viewing, but no masterwork. ** from ****