Sometimes when staples of pop culture become second nature to us, it is only after one has read a book, seen a play, or watched a movie about the creation of that particular thing (in this case, the songs that Ray Charles left the world), that we can appreciate the level of genius that initially devised them. The new film Ray brings new perspective to the life of the recently deceased entertainer, and, although it is not a perfect eulogy, Charles himself was a consultant and producer, so at least he must have been pleased with the representation and the choices that were made.
I was most impressed that Ray was not afraid to depict Charles in an unflattering light. Here is a man who may gone blind at an early age (approximately 8 or 9 years old) and quickly found ways to rise above his affliction, only to succumb to other demons, such as heroin addiction and adultery. That there are as many scenes showing the man strung out or philandering as there are scenes of his time in the recording studio enforces how much a part of his life the needle and his libido had become. A lesser picture would have glossed over these character traits in favour of glamourizing his talent and success.
The movie begins as a young Ray Charles Robinson (Jamie Foxx) leaves the constraining South for Seattle, where he is determined to make something of his piano playing and singing ability. He ends up at a dive bar emceed by a dwarf (Warwick Davis) who turns him onto smoking pot. The post-war music scene is filled with crooners, but a music executive spots potential in Charles for something uniquely different. The journey is also a learning lesson, as Charles sets rules concerning his creative freedom in the recording studio and insists his pay for performance gigs be doled out in one dollar bills so he knows for certain he isn't being scammed on account of his blindness.
Perhaps in real life Charles was able to create songs directly out of his life experiences as they were happening, but even this concession does not explain the artificiality of some scenes, specifically one in which Charles and his mistress Margie Hendricks (Regina King) suddenly burst into "Hit the Road, Jack" while arguing about her unexpected pregnancy. In another contrived and awkward moment, Charles is performing and is told he has another twenty minutes to fill, and subsequently makes up "What'd I Say" on the spot, with his band backing him every step of the way, note for note. Although such a device makes the music sound even more impressive, the small likelihood of such things actually happening suck authenticity out of the piece.
Jamie Foxx plays Ray in what has been heralded as the performance of the year. There's no question that Foxx channels not just the entertainer's swaying and patented smile, but there's something else going on here too. Foxx takes the performance inward and allows us a glimpse into the kind of things going on inside, whether they be cunning and shrewd or downright base. In the impressive scenes when Foxx must perform the material (provided by Charles himself, in this case), his lip-synching is believable and the detailed impersonation lands on solid footing.
If Ray can be faulted for anything though, it is in its mediocre subject matter. No doubt Charles oversaw much of the minutiae in James L. White's screenplay, but at no point is the viewer legitimately along for the ride emotionally. Although the lead character is in practically every scene of the film, Ray himself is kept at arm's length from us and we start to wonder when or even if we will ever connect with him. The answer, apparently, is that Charles was an enigma, even though we see some of the traumatic experiences that shaped his behaviours (the sudden death of his brother, a drug overdose by one of his mistresses). We never actually go from a factual account to a powerful life story that engages us on a deeper level.
Still, Ray has lots of great music and a performance that will no doubt propel Foxx to higher levels as an actor. Taylor Hackford directs the film with lots of colour and plenty of energetic cuts to keep things moving along nicely. The performances are sufficient, including Kerry Washington as Charles's wife of many years, Della Bea, Aunjanue Ellis as Ray's eager fling, Ann Fisher, and Sharon Warren as Ray's stern mother, Aretha. Regardless of the movie's flaws -- and there are a few to pick from -- its core remains in tact as a tale of one man overcoming adversity to become one of the most influential artists and musicians of the last century.
