Self-Indulgent Direction is overcome by a Powerhouse Lead Performance

Rating: 8/10 (11 April 2007)

RAY is the riveting and richly entertaining film biography of blind musical icon Ray Charles, from his more than humble beginnings in rural Mississippi to his eventual super stardom as one of the leading R&B artists of this century. Lovingly directed by Taylor Hackford, this film paints Charles as a man who, from childbirth had it instilled in him that he was not to allow his blindness to be a roadblock in achieving anything that he wanted to achieve and that remaining independent in spirit would get him where he wanted to be and would take away the liability of his handicap. Taylor Hackford has always been a very self-indulgent director whose work (AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, WHITE KNIGHTS, DELORES CLAIBORNE, etc.)has always been meticulous in detail to the point where a 90 minute movie ends up being two and a half hours, and this movie is no exception. Almost two hours into the story, the film has only reached the year 1958, but interest is sustained due to some extraordinary performances, mainly the dazzling Oscar-winning performance by Jamie Foxx in the title role. Foxx is nothing short of miraculous in his interpretation of Charles, a brilliant melding of acting genius and impersonation that is positively haunting in its accuracy for those of us who grew up with Ray. The elements of impersonation never become mimicry and Foxx's work in this role is nothing short of extraordinary...some of Ray's music is dubbed with Charles' voice and Jamie does some singing too but Foxx's performance is so precise, it's hard to tell when Ray is singing and when Foxx is. Kerry Washington turns in a vivid performance as Ray's devoted wife, a patient church-loving woman who puts up with a lot (downplayed in this screenplay)but remains loyal to the man. CLifton Powell is very good as the leader of Ray's band and there is a powerhouse turn by Regina King, in a performance that should have earned her a Supporting Actress nomination, as one of Ray's back-up singers, who Ray has an affair with and gets pregnant. King has not been seen to such good advantage since JERRY MAGUIRE. There is also a mesmerizing and heartbreaking performance by Sharon Warren as Ray's no-nonsense mother. Yes, the movie is about 30 minutes too long and the screenplay downplays and/or glosses over the downside of Ray's life, his drug abuse and womanizing in particular (the film portrays Ray as fathering one illegitimate child even though IRL he fathered about six I believe), but I think this was out of respect to the subject, who was still alive at the time this film was being made. And there is plenty of Ray's music to revel in like "What I Say?", "Hit the Road Jack", "Georgia on my Mind", and "I Can't Stop Loving You". I love the scene where Ray is recording a new song and he's sent the backup singers home already and records all the back-up vocals himself. It's a little long and rambling, but still one of the best biopics of a real life showbiz figure to be mounted in years. Don't miss this one.