Ray (2004)
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Product Details
Jamie Foxx stars in this biopic of legendary soul and R&B singer Ray Charles.
Riding high on a wave of Oscar buzz, Foxx proved himself worthy of all the hype
by portraying blind R&B legend Ray Charles in a warts-and-all performance that
Charles approved shortly before his death in June 2004.
Despite a few dramatic embellishments of actual incidents (such as the
suggestion that the accidental drowning of Charles's younger brother caused all
the inner demons that Charles would battle into adulthood), the film does a
remarkable job of summarizing Charles's strengths as a musical innovator and his
weaknesses as a philandering heroin addict who recorded some of his best songs
while flying high as a kite. Foxx seems to be channeling Charles himself, and as
he did with the life of Ritchie Valens in La Bamba, director Taylor Hackford
gets most of the period details absolutely right as he chronicles Ray's rise
from "chitlin circuit" performer in the early '50s to his much-deserved
elevation to legendary status as one of the all-time great musicians. Foxx
expertly lip-syncs to Ray Charles' classic recordings, but you could swear he's
the real deal in a film that honours Ray Charles without sanitizing his
once-messy life.
Special Features
Theatrical Edition, Branched Extended Edition, Feature Commentary With Director Taylor Hackford, Descriptive Audio, Extended Musical Performances, Stepping Into The Part, Ray Remembered, Deleted Scenes With Optional Commentary
Technical Details
Region 2
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Running Time: 146 minutes
Production Year: 2004
Main Language: English
Hearing Impaired Languages: English