Astounding - Foxx is excellent, but only the second best actor in the movie

Rating: 10/10 (21 June 2005)

Some small spoilers included: This movie was unbelievable. It may not be the best movie ever, but the unknown story it tells - and the unashamed way it does it - was truly riveting. Looking back at the opening scene, it seemed funny at the time that Ray would say he lost his vision on a Normandy beach. By the end of the movie, you realize it was just foreshadowing his future problem of lies - especially to himself.
Jamie Foxx gives an amazing performance. Although I have not watched the other nominated actors from 2004, I know why he won and why he deserved it. However, I think he was not only the second best actor in the movie, but also the second best Ray. I believe C.J. Sanders gives a truly magnificent performance. Foxx's performance was dead-on, but a sizeable portion of it was really imitation (ironic at times that he was imitating Ray Charles' imitations of other artists during Ray's early years). He had a lot of information, footage, and Ray Charles himself to work with. But Sanders did not have that luxury. Also the fact that he is young and had to show such emotion is only over-shadowed by the fact that he does it so convincingly.
Another unexpected performance that would not have been better came from Sharon Warren as Ray's mother. If the roles of young Ray and his mother would have made up more of the movie, we would have heard a lot more about these performances. But the movie was rightfully dominated by Foxx, since that was Ray we all wanted to see. I think we will see a lot of great work in the future from Sanders and Warren, as well as Foxx, of course.