Effective Recreation of Ray Charles and His Milieu

Rating: Null/10 (2 November 2004)

"Ray" is an effective recreation of Ray Charles and his milieu.
Jamie Foxx is extraordinary in completely embodying Charles, but the terrific production design gives him important context. Without the authentic feel of the mid-twentieth century Florida of his childhood, and the blues and jazz chitlin circuit and the recording and entertainment industries of his young adulthood, Foxx's performance would just be an imitation.
This context is particularly important because Charles was an innovator and unique commingler of influences, gospel with R & B, blues with country, smooth jazz with funk (and thankfully the soundtrack mostly doesn't try to imitate him, but uses his voice for the incomparable songs -- and stay through the end of the credits to hear the final moan).
Vernel Bagneris's choreography was much more authentic looking than in similar period movies, especially in showing the transitions black music was making post-World War II. Also realistic feeling is the verisimilitude of Atlantic Records, including the late engineer Tom Dowd, radio payola, and other business dealings.
The film provides fulsome opportunities for many African-American actors who don't get enough opportunities to be seen, including several actors from TV series like "The Wire" and "Soul Food." Chris Thomas King was excellent as Lowell Fulsom, a very different blues man than the one he portrayed in "O Brother Where Art Thou?", though Larenz Tate does a bland Quincy Jones. I listened to Charles's funeral broadcast over NPR and it was touching that the film showed us how long those who gave eulogies had been a significant part of his life.
The genesis of some songs are shown a bit hokily--particularly when the credits show that they weren't written by Charles, such as "Hit the Road, Jack" done as relationship dialogue, but they are fun and the audience can't help but knowingly respond.
The film does slow down into pedestrian bio pic mode towards the end. While the build-up of the increasing dominance of Charles's personal problems with drugs and infidelity is shown realistically and effectively, his rehab is done as the usual movie cliché, with his consequent successes quickly shown in headlines across the screen.
A nice touch is showing his initial reluctance to be concerned with the civil rights movement, capped by a cameo by Julian Bond.
The audience I was in was racially mixed, and there were visceral, out loud responses to his life and music, like a gospel congregation.