Ordinary film saved by the acting

Rating: 7/10 (12 June 2005)

This film was released to such acclaim that it was hard to ignore the pull to watch it, even though i knew nothing of Ray Charles. Everyone was going on about Jaimie Foxx and how good he was and after seeing the film i have to agree. The man was on top form that year with Collateral and this it was hard not to applaud him for his efforts, but i take the back a few years to Boogey Nights, the film that everyone thought would propel Mark Whalberg to stardom many bad choices later and we have all but forgotten his magnificent performance, so lets hope that Jaimie Foxx chooses more wisely than Mark!!!
The magnificent performance of Foxx aside this was an average film witch felt like one big cliché! The flashbacks in this film are so poorly acted and staged that it was difficult to understand the hardship that Ray went through, these flashbacks also looked too fresh there was no sense of time in the way that they were filmed everything was so bright it should have done with a more grainy edge to it. The film does get better the longer you watch it but you are left feeling let down by the almost T.V sitcom direction that the film takes in its first half that the only thing that keeps you watching the second half is Foxx. I would recommend this film as a rental only just to appreciate Foxx's performance and would only recommend buying this if you were a real fan of Ray Charles 7/10.