2008 Woodie Awards
Ray of Light
Mike Clark
Issue date: 11/10/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
When you hear Ray Charles sing, you know very well who it is performing. Charles' voice is one of the more recognizable voices in American history. Ray's status as a legend is not negotiable. Ray was able to put many different music genres together, including classical, gospel, country, and orchestral. The general public knows all that however. Why would people pay good money to see a movie about the life of Ray Charles? Well, because it's actually about the life of Ray Charles.
All too often, biographical films are basically sugar coating the life of a famous man or woman. This can get very frustrating, because people know that the men and women are great individuals. Otherwise, why would a director waste time making a movie about them? In the movie Ray, all generalizations about biographical films are thrown out the window.
Ray tells the story of the famous musician Ray Charles Robinson (Jamie Foxx). The film starts with Ray as a young musician just struggling to get by. The film chronicles Ray's trials in the music world. Throughout the beginning of his career, Ray is haunted by the demons of his past. Through flashbacks, we find that Ray witnessed the accidental death of his younger brother and became blind at the age of seven. Because of his troubles in the past and his desire to fit in, Ray turns to heroin and quickly becomes an addict. The film shows Ray's battles with the problems he has.
Ray features a breakthrough performance by Jamie Foxx. In a couple of years, where Foxx is considered one of the major Hollywood players, people will look to Ray as the beginning of his career. Before this year, it was hard to believe that Foxx could ever have even played a serious role. This is the same actor who starred in the movie Booty Call. Nonetheless, in the past year, Foxx has twice flexed his acting muscles with his performances as a tortured cabbie in Collateral and as the title character in Ray.
Foxx's performance was not only good, it was spectacular. It takes the audience all of five minutes before you can actually buy Foxx as Charles. His portrayal is so uncanny. It is clear to the audience just how much research Foxx did in playing the part of one of his heroes. Before Ray's untimely death this summer, he worked as a correspondent on his own film and made Foxx pass a musical test before letting Foxx portray him. Foxx himself had to go through a struggle while shooting the movie. He had to wear eye prosthetics during the shooting to keep his eyes shut and keep the illusion that he is a blind man.
All too often, biographical films are basically sugar coating the life of a famous man or woman. This can get very frustrating, because people know that the men and women are great individuals. Otherwise, why would a director waste time making a movie about them? In the movie Ray, all generalizations about biographical films are thrown out the window.
Ray tells the story of the famous musician Ray Charles Robinson (Jamie Foxx). The film starts with Ray as a young musician just struggling to get by. The film chronicles Ray's trials in the music world. Throughout the beginning of his career, Ray is haunted by the demons of his past. Through flashbacks, we find that Ray witnessed the accidental death of his younger brother and became blind at the age of seven. Because of his troubles in the past and his desire to fit in, Ray turns to heroin and quickly becomes an addict. The film shows Ray's battles with the problems he has.
Ray features a breakthrough performance by Jamie Foxx. In a couple of years, where Foxx is considered one of the major Hollywood players, people will look to Ray as the beginning of his career. Before this year, it was hard to believe that Foxx could ever have even played a serious role. This is the same actor who starred in the movie Booty Call. Nonetheless, in the past year, Foxx has twice flexed his acting muscles with his performances as a tortured cabbie in Collateral and as the title character in Ray.
Foxx's performance was not only good, it was spectacular. It takes the audience all of five minutes before you can actually buy Foxx as Charles. His portrayal is so uncanny. It is clear to the audience just how much research Foxx did in playing the part of one of his heroes. Before Ray's untimely death this summer, he worked as a correspondent on his own film and made Foxx pass a musical test before letting Foxx portray him. Foxx himself had to go through a struggle while shooting the movie. He had to wear eye prosthetics during the shooting to keep his eyes shut and keep the illusion that he is a blind man.