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Ray
2004
Jamie Foxx stars in this biopic of legendary soul and R&B singer Ray Charles. Skilfully edited and with a keen eye for period detail, the narrative weaves in and out of the past in an interlocking tapestry of the man's rise to fame in the 1950s and '60s. Growing up poor, black, and blind in the rural south, Charles learns--.. Read more
| Starring | Jamie Foxx, Regina King, Kerry Washington, Michael Arata |
|---|---|
| Director | Taylor Hackford |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Drama |
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Ray
Jamie Foxx stars in this biopic of legendary soul and R&B singer Ray Charles. Skilfully edited and with a keen eye for period detail, the narrative weaves in and out of the past in an interlocking tapestry of the man's rise to fame in the 1950s and '60s. Growing up poor, black, and blind in the rural south, Charles learns--under the tutelage of his tough-love mother (Sharon Warren)--to turn these handicaps into assets. With this training, Ray eventually plays his way into a major deal with Atlantic records and earns icon status as an American legend. Along the way, the high cost of fame leads him to engage in abusive relationships, manipulative behaviour, and struggles with drug and alcohol problems. This is a dynamite film for the music alone (Charles's actual recordings are used in the film), but Foxx's career-benchmark performance transcends RAY's biopic roots, turning this into a piercing, full-on character study: unflinching, sometimes harrowing, and ultimately deeply moving. The sheer joy of Charles's music comes alive in Foxx's movements, and his character matures convincingly and powerfully. A stellar supporting cast is on hand to back him up every step of the way, including Larenz Tate as producer Quincy Jones, and Kerry Washington as Ray's long-suffering wife, Regina.
| Starring | Jamie Foxx, Regina King, Kerry Washington, Michael Arata, Curtis Armstrong |
|---|---|
| Director | Taylor Hackford |
| Studio | UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK VIDEO RENTAL |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 26 mins HD DVD: 2 hrs 26 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Drama |
| Language | DVD: English, English Audio Description HD DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Released | DVD: 06 Jun 2005 HD DVD: 04 Jun 2007 Production year: 2004 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (5)
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Sex and drugs and rock and roll (or, in Ray Charles's case, soul, gospel, blues and even a little bit of country) are the basic ingredients for a biopic of just about any popular singer from the last 50 years or so. Childhood poverty and tragedy are standard extras, and racial prejudice is not unfamiliar territory. Throw in blindness and you are in danger of producing an indigestible mixture of cliché and sentimentality. Taylor Hackford's movie avoids that trap, beginning with the 17-year-old Ray setting out in search of fame and fortune and ending with him established as one of America's most successful entertainers. Flashbacks fill in the gaps. Charles emerges as a hugely original talent (his recordings are used throughout the film) and a sympathetic human being, despite his heroin addiction and serial adultery. This is thanks to the assured script and direction, and to star Jamie Foxx — his Ray is not just an uncanny impersonation, but a great performance.
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Best known for directing An Officer and a Gentlemen, Taylor Hackford has been a lifelong music fan who started... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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40 out of 43 people found this review helpful
A must see film, absolutely brilliant.
There will be no justice if Jamie Foxx is not awarded an OSCAR for his brilliant portrayal of the late Ray Charles Robinson! He has every mannerism down to a fine art, the walk, the movement of the head, the smile...uncanny, he must have spent months researching the role.
Having loved his music over the years I am ashamed to say that I never knew the facts about Ray's fight against racism or his fight with heroin or indeed his lifelong friendship with Quincy Jones.
This film shows Ray Charles's life, demons and all, as it turned out he was a very shrewd businessman who gave millions to charity. Some other good strong performances by the support actors and singers.
For watchers of 'The West Wing' watch out for Richard Schiff (Toby) in his role as the partner in Atlantic Records - minus the beard.
A soon as this film is released on DVD get it, you will not be disappointed. I cannot wait to see the DVD extra's and deleted scenes.
Enjoy the music and the film, you will not be disappointed! -
Most recent members' review
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9 out of 10 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Jamie Foxx and the music make this worth your while
Good film with great music. A decent insight into Ray Charles' life but not enough time spent on his music, which is when the film really came alive. The story is good enough to make a decent film out of but I was disappointed that the inspirations behind the music and how it influenced modern music were covered better in twenty minutes of the BBC show Soul Wars that recently aired and that for me was the big let down. The man is music and it was almost a side point to his infidelity and drug abuse when it was truly his reason for being. Jamie Foxx was sensational in the lead role but it was a missed opportunity to deliver one of the best music biographies.
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News and features
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New Moon script found in the trash
- 12 May 2009
A humble beauty salon owner will mingle with stars at the New Moon premiere - after she discovered the film's script in a trash can and handed it in to studio bosses. Casey Ray from St. Louis, Missouri found the discarded screenplay, along with another script for a venture entitled Memoirs in a bin while waiting for her boyfriend to finish work. And rather than leak the film's plot to fans of the Twilight series, Ray has been praised by the film's studio Summit Entertainment for her honesty... Read more
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Ray - HD DVD Version
Jamie Foxx stars in this biopic of legendary soul and R&B singer Ray Charles. Skilfully edited and with a keen eye for period detail, the narrative weaves in and out of the past in an interlocking tapestry of the man's rise to fame in the 1950s and '60s. Growing up poor, black, and blind in the ...
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Ray
Jamie Foxx stars in this biopic of legendary soul and R&B singer Ray Charles. Skilfully edited and with a keen eye for period detail, the narrative weaves in and out of the past in an interlocking tapestry of the man's rise to fame in the 1950s and '60s. Growing up poor, black, and blind in the ...
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