| Value for Money | 9.5/10  |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | 9/10 |
Full review by
Timix1
expert review 
on 9th Aug 2005
User Rating : 9
Respect :
0
Good Points: Jamie Foxx's Oscar-winning performance is undeniably great.
General comments: For anybody whose pre-RAY awareness of Jamie Foxx was limited to his side-splitting appearances as 'Ugly Wanda' on TV's IN LIVING COLOR in the early 90's, his tour-de-force performance as musical legend Ray Charles must have come as something of a shock. Myself, I was less surprised: one look at his work in Oliver Stone's 1999 football epic ANY GIVEN SUNDAY tipped me off right away. Anybody who can hold his own with Al Pacino is worthy of notice. He was equally good in two Michael Mann pictures, ALI and last summer's excellent COLLATERAL (with a third production - a big-screen version of Mann's own MIAMI VICE with Colin Farrell - in the early stages of production). Still, his work in RAY immediately generated the kind of buzz that made him the unequivocal favorite in the Oscar's Best Actor category from the moment of the film's September '04 debut at the Toronto International Film Festival (I happened to be in Toronto that week to take in a handful of films - RAY not being one of them, sadly) and he was indeed the talk of the town.
No doubt about it, Foxx mesmerizes you every second that he's on the screen in RAY. He's got Charles' mannerisms, walk and voice down pat, but it's his uncanny ability to communicate the late singer's joy, temper and perseverance that makes his performance transcend cheap mimicry in much the same way that Cate Blanchett succeeds in bringing Katherine Hepburn to life in her own Oscar-winning turn in THE AVIATOR. Even when the film tends to paint the musician with an overly saintly brush at times, Foxx delivers an honest portrayal of Charles as the complex, flawed man that he was; the singer struggled with heroin addiction and his ongoing womanizing during the height of his success. There's no denying one's admiration for Charles' accomplishments; here was a black, blind performer in the 50's and 60's who demanded respect and earned it through his musical ingenuity and sheer force of will. Charles put his heart and soul into his craft, and it's a fitting tribute to the singer that Foxx invests the same level of commitment in his stunning performance.
Timix1's review and ratings | 379 words
Review by
Hank
on 5th Jul 2005
User Rating : 9
Respect :
+2
Ray is a brilliant film which takes a look at the life of the legendary Ray Charles. Hats off to Jamie Foxx, as performances go, he was a sensation. Utterly convincing and absolutely captivating, Foxx was completely worthy of that Oscar he picked up in February 2005.
I'm no authority on Ray Charles, but I feel like I know the man after watching this film. It starts with him setting off to the big city, dreaming of joining a band and becoming a success. The film then covers all aspects of his ...
Hank's full review | 228 words
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