A Ray of Sunshine in the Bleakness of Life

Rating: 9/10 (22 January 2007)

Foxx was blind, Foxx was a drug-addict, Foxx was a musical genius, Foxx was Ray Charles. The mannerism, the charisma, the conflict, the love... everything was there. And the Oscar goes...
Beyond that, this movie is a masterpiece in its own right. The directing, editing & screenplay all very powerful. The music, the business, the family, the affairs, the drug, the fame, the power, the self-deception and self-discovery. We go through Ray Charles life from his strengths and demons of childhood to the making a musical legend and conflicted man. Kerry Washington and Regina King add credence to Jamie's acting by giving strong performances opposite him. I am surprised that Kerry did not get more recognition as Ray's loving, but understandably troubled wife.
When the movie ends, you feel you have gone through the joys, the pains, the hardships and saw the light at the end. The process was that of discovery. As Ray reinvented himself many times as a prolific gifted musician that breathes music, he also had to reinvent himself finally as a man. Terrific achievement.