Film Reviews

Ray

• Rating:
• Director: Taylor Hackford.
• Starring: Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Regina King, Sharon Warren.
• Details: US / 152 mins (15A).

An excellent performance from Jamie Foxx lies at the heart of Taylor Hackford's biopic of Ray Charles, the multi-talented musical magpie who taught himself 'to see like you hear' after he went blind as a young boy. Foxx delivers a performance that is uncanny in its ability to mimic Charles; just as important, however, is James L. White's screenplay, which refuses to sentimentalise the man, offering a complex character that encompasses Charles' heroin addiction, emotional cruelty and the ruthlessness in his professional life that equalled his instinctive talent. Foxx receives more than adequate support from Kerry Washington and Regina King, Charles' wife and mistress respectively, but an Oscar nomination is surely due to debutant Sharon Warren, who turns in a visceral performance as the singer's mother. The soundtrack, naturally, is another highlight, and the work of Polish cinematographer, Pawel Edelman (The Pianist) is also exemplary. Following hard on the heels of two relatively disappointing biopics, The Aviator and Alexander, Ray is a refreshing, energetic and inspiring film.

Review by Garreth Murphy