Don't jive me, man - From reviewsforyou

Rating: Null/10 (21 August 2005)

Don't jive me, man: ( 7.0 / 10 stars ): Being an easily enjoyable, yet hardly lovable film, Ray shines in many areas such as acting, with a brilliant (and unfortunately blown out of proportion) performance, and music (what else can you expect from such a critically loved character like Mr. Charles?) Although I was never a huge biopic fan, due to its need for non-fictional structure and normal lack of creativity, this film certainly exceeds the norm for its genre.
Ray is classic Hollywood cinema. What makes it a better movie than others of recent memory is, of course, the acting. Jamie Foxx nailed all of the propensities and movements of the legend, from his head swing, to his dazzling smile, to his fast-fingering piano-jamming music style. Unfortunately, I came in to viewing this film after the rave reviews and overstated praises from critics rolled in, so it was hard to say with an open mind if Foxx really lived up to those standards. I find that it is always difficult to judge an actor's capabilities based on a biopic, because the actor is forced to imitate over act. Foxx easily imitated well, and during his more dramatic acting scenes, I believe he did a very adequate job to help the film flow throughly.
The film started out slow, and around minute twenty really got swinging. For example, during the humble bar scenes where Ray truly got the crowd jumpin' even got the audience jumpin' along with all of them. The direction in these scenes in particular was very inspiring, Taylor Hackford zeroed in on the classy 40s and 50s era through clothing, camera angles, and most importantly the hued locations that remind us of "classic America". Furthermore, the way his blindness was portrayed was extraordinary. Yet, beyond all this positive energy, there is a plot that is in great need of revision. It seems that Mr. Foxx could have shined if given more dramatic or involving dialogs. The film moves at such a fast pace, with acting leading the way, that the story is left two paces behind. Therefore, the audience could become overwhelmed (as I was). Also, the film leaves at an awkward time in Ray Charles life, where so much more information could be covered and capitalized on. Yet, being a two and a half hour long movie, I guess some concepts had to be cut by Hackford.
So overall, a dazzling film with dazzling performances. Although nothing revolutionary or unique about this particular biopic, it will pull at your heart strings and help you better appreciate the music world, and the man himself. The man behind the music... Mr. Ray Charles! - 7.0