Great potential lost in the sauce.

Rating: 5/10 (6 November 2004)

Great performances by Jamie Foxx and others were undermined by a really
badly written script. Story is all over the place. Flashbacks undermine the power of the central story: Ray Charles' struggle to find himself and his voice. Lots of clichéd crap that is told to us rather than discovered. All in all, awkward. A missed opportunity to make a film with an obviously dedicated cast. Make sure you visit the toilet before getting your seat and make sure you bring a watch to the film. The only thing that holds it together is the extraordinary power of the music, Jamie Foxx & Co. There are some occasional moments of good direction
but they, like everything else in this film are lost in the sauce. What a shame too! Ray would have been focused and energized if a director like Spike Lee or
even Martin Scorsese had taken it on, an homage to the artist and a mirror on the evolution of popular culture.