Details
Movie Description
Jamie Foxx stars in this biopic of legendary soul and R&B singer Ray Charles. Skillfully 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 Paramount 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 behavior, 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.
Film Notes
Theatrical release: October 29, 2004
Ray Charles passed away on June 10, 2004, before the film received a theatrical release.
A classically trained musician, Jamie Foxx actually played the piano throughout the film, though the original Ray Charles recordings were used.
During shooting, Jamie Foxx wore special eye gear that literally made him blind.
Industry Reviews
"Foxx's fierce, funny, deeply felt performance deserves to be legendary....Foxx rides this winner to glory."
Rolling Stone - Peter Travers (11/11/2004)
"[A] satisfying picture....[With] Mr. Foxx's inventive, intuitive, and supremely intelligent performance."
New York Times - A. O. Scott (10/29/2004)
"RAY could not have been made without star Jamie Foxx....His portrayal of Ray Charles is such a landmark in making the difficult look natural that you won't talk about anything else when you exit the theater."
USA Today - Mike Clark (10/29/2004)
"One of the striking things about RAY is the way Foxx's performance gives the uncanny impression of watching the real Charles reliving his life on screen. The actor makes us believe that what's in front of our eyes really happened."
Los Angeles Times - Kenneth Turan (10/29/2004)
"Foxx feels his way into every groove and tremor of that voice -- the sheer locomotive power of it, and the shades of gravelly tenderness, too."
Entertainment Weekly - Owen Gleiberman (11/05/2004)
[T]he musical numbers are superbly handled. The sound is extraordinary..."
Movieline's Hollywood Life - Stephen Farber (12/01/2004)
"Built around a magnetic performance by Jamie Foxx....[He] brilliantly inhabits Ray's mannerisms..."
Uncut - Nick Hasted (02/01/2005)
"Foxx's performance is superb in its naturalism and meticulous in its attention to detail....The music provides the most straightforward pleasure in an enjoyable and straightforward film..."
Sight and Sound - Sam Davies (02/01/2005)
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