Music and Foxx's great performance triumph over mediocre script

Rating: 7/10 (4 February 2005)

There are two movies here: One is Ray Charles on stage, the other is Ray Charles in the rest of his life. The movie begins with Ray (Charles) Robinson leaving Georgia to move to Seattle, and his earlier life is told in flashbacks. The flashbacks are effective in showing the childhood traumas and lessons that drive Ray, but I was not engaged. Even Ray's battles with heroin feel a little off-key. Everything is tied up into a nice little package, and you know that you are watching an authorized biopic.
But who cares? The music is worth the journey. Ray recreated some of his earlier music, and remastered other material. You watch Ray's development from a Nat King Cole wannabe into a man who broke all the barriers in the music industry. With Jamie Foxx's incredible performance, it works. You absolutely feel you are watching the young Ray Charles, it is almost impossible to imagine a better performance. The music gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes.
Jamie Foxx's performance and Ray's music easily overcome the script's limitations.