Eminently worth seeing.
Ray (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:190
Fresh:155
Rotten:35
Average Rating:7.3/10
Consensus: Critics can't stop loving Jamie Foxx's performance in Ray, which is being hailed as an engrossing and energetic take on Charles' achievements and demons.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for depiction of drug addiction, sexuality and some thematic elements
Runtime: 2 hrs 33 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:21-01-2005
Synopsis: Ray is the never-before-told, musical biographical drama of American legend Ray Charles. Featuring a remarkable performance from Jamie Foxx in the central role, Ray follows the inspiring story of a... Ray is the never-before-told, musical biographical drama of American legend Ray Charles. Featuring a remarkable performance from Jamie Foxx in the central role, Ray follows the inspiring story of a one-of-a-kind genius. Born in a poor town in Georgia, Ray Charles went blind at the age of seven shortly after witnessing his younger brother's accidental death. Inspired by a fiercely independent mother who insisted he make his own way in the world, Charles found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered incorporating gospel, country, jazz and orchestral influences into his inimitable style. As he revolutionized the way people appreciated music, he simultaneously fought segregation in the very clubs that launched him and championed artists' rights within the corporate music business. Ray provides an unflinching portrait of Charles' musical genius as he overcomes drug addiction while transforming into one of this country's most beloved performers. Ray is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Taylor Hackford (An Officer and a Gentleman); screenplay by James L. White, from a story by Hackford and White; and produced by Hackford, Stuart Benjamin, Howard Baldwin and Karen Baldwin. [More]
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Regina King, Kerry Washington, Curtis Armstrong
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Regina King, Kerry Washington, Curtis Armstrong, Warwick Davis, Clifton Powell, Harry J. Lennix, Terrence DaShon Howard, Larenz Tate, Aunjanue Ellis
Director: Taylor Hackford
Director: Taylor Hackford
Screenwriter: James White, Taylor Hackford
Producer: Howard L. Baldwin, Karen Baldwin
Composer: Craig Armstrong
Producer: Stuart Benjamin
Studio: Universal Pictures
Reviews for Ray
Ray boasts a great smorgasbord of music and a fine performance by Jamie Foxx but is hobbled by a mediocre screenplay and its long playing time.
'Overlong, but what makes the film's length more endurable is the impeccable acting of its cast.'
Worth your attention for the performances and Charles' music, but not for its shapeless, simplistic script or Hackford's flaccid filmmaking.
About as loyal a portrait as its subject could have wanted, although for our sake, Hackford might have given us more of the man and less of the legend.
Foxx is essentially critic-proof ... Yet he's embroiled in an editing nightmare.
The film leaves us with an impression that Ray Charles was one of the artists who mattered most in the history of recorded music.
In Taylor Hackford's "Ray," Jamie Foxx delivers the season's most mesmerizing performance as late singer Ray Charles.
Foxx so admirably immerses himself in the role that (with all due respect) Charles himself could not have done a better job.
Jamie Fox is electrifying as Ray Charles in Ray that has Oscar written all over it. I gained a new appreciation for Jamie Fox and Ray Charles wonderful music.
The film doesn’t make Ray Charles’ lifetime events into necessary, cumulative movie events.
This bio-pic isn’t about Ray Charles’ moral highlights. It was about his revolutionary development of his own music, and how he took control of his own destiny.
Jamie Foxx's impersonation of Ray Charles completely fails to live up to the hype.
Ray Charles will be missed, but there will always be his music, and now this film.
The 2004 Oscar season kicks off with a great performance by Jamie Foxx and great music -- wrapped in a not-so-great movie.
Suffers from over-emphasis on personal demons, too many flashbacks and a tacked-on ending -- but Jamie Foxx is incredible.
A film that delivers on all cylinders and is truly a fitting legacy to the great man himself.
The genius of Ray Charles' music is matched by the brilliance of Jamie Foxx's performance.
...a tribute movie, really, rather than a rousing or revealing biography.
Latest News for Ray
October 07, 2009:
Jamie Foxx Plans Mike Tyson Biopic ![]()
Does one good biopic deserve another? "Ray" star Jamie Foxx wants to reunite with director Taylor Hackford for a look at the life and times of Mike Tyson. More...
October 15, 2007:
Mirren and Pesci Saddling Up at Hackford's Love Ranch
Helen Mirren, Joe Pesci, and Taylor Hackford are headed to the Love Ranch. More...
December 29, 2006:
Kasdan, Apatow & John C. Reilly to Introduce "Dewey Cox"
How many musician-centric biopics do you have to sit through before you start clamoring for a nice juicy parody of the sub-genre? Well, one's on it's way, courtesy of director... More...
December 08, 2006:
The Weekly Ketchup: "Spider-Man 3" Teasers, "Pirates 3" Pics And Rumors, "Transformers" Images, And More!
In this week's Ketchup, we just can't get enough of those tidbits from the upcoming third installments of "Spider-Man" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" and the... More...
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