Just seeing the trailers for Ray you know this is something special, but just how special it is will not be realized until you get the chance to see it for yourself.
I honestly can’t think of a better transformation made by an actor for a role in a movie in recent years. Yeah Charlize Theron got all fat and nasty for Monster, Rene Zellweger beefed up for Bridget Jones, Christian Bale lost 60 pounds for The Machinist and countless other actors have disfigured their perfect little physiques in order to embody the character they play, but never before have I seen such a transformation that you have to actually do a double take just to make sure it is in fact the actor and not the person they are portraying.
Ray tells the story of Ray Charles from his early years as a child on through becoming an adult and does not spare any details along the way as it delves into the highs and the lowest of lows. Charles’ life was never easy, as I am sure you can imagine, but if you are like me and know very little about the man you are about to be taken on quite a ride.
Jamie Foxx’s career has been on the rise for as long as I can remember, from the annoying Wanda on “In Living Color” to a kidnapped cabbie in Collateral he always seems to one up himself each time out, but I don’t think Jamie, his agent or anyone else would have been able to tell you that he would have been capable of this.
Foxx had no problem getting the piano strokes of Ray Charles down, he has played piano since he was three and went to college on a piano scholarship. He also had no problem acting blind, because he literally was by wearing prosthetic copies of Ray Charles’ actual eyelids over his eyes for up to 14 hours a day during the shoot. Foxx even went through a rigorous piano test with the late Ray Charles and earned his approval on the spot, so to say he nails this role is an understatement.
Director, Taylor Hackford worked for several years trying to bring the story of Ray Charles to the big screen and after working closely with Charles himself for over 15 years there isn’t a single nuance left out of this movie, and to say it is pure genius would be to sell it short.
If there is to be a complaint, the 2 hour and 35 minute running is a little daunting, but nevertheless you won’t be able to think of a single scene that should have been removed.
If you are an Oscar watcher here is the start of the season and Jamie Foxx and Ray might never have to look back.
