a triumph; full of heart and soul

Rating: Null/10 (6 December 2004)

Powerful, stirring portrait of the great American legend Ray Charles. Blinded since the age of seven and traumatized by a painful childhood memory, this riveting drama chronicles the famed musician from his early days in the 1940s where he was seen as nothing more than a crippled piano player, to his breakthrough a decade later where he eventually emerged as a country and gospel music sensation, infamous womanizer, wayward husband and father, and troubled junkie who struggled to battle a heroin addiction, all the while fighting to fulfill a promise to his late mother that he would find success. Foxx gives a staggering, eerily credible performance as Charles (he reportedly did his own piano playing), aided immeasurably by a strong supporting cast, great score, and sure-handed direction. A gripping and praiseworthy biography that's sure to emerge as one of the year's best. ***Â½