Foxx Shines and "Ray" Is Worth Every Penny

Photo credit: www.raymovie.com Jamie Foxx is touching, heartfelt and inspired as the beloved Ray Charles.

By Tara-Lynne Pixley
Black College Wire

"I'm-a make it do what it do, baby!"

Ray Charles spoke his promise to innovate music and bring in hit after hit, regardless of who questioned, criticized or chastised him, in typical Ray manner: groovy, baby.

The beloved legend combined country, gospel, R&B and rock-and-roll to make the soundtrack of America's most happening decades.

And despite being blind and having been born to a sharecropping single mother, he did it all.

"Ray" tells this incredible musician's story with impeccable charm, honesty and passion.

It leaves no tormented moment, no high or low out of the nearly 50 years that the film spans. A film that took 15 years to get a green light, it received a blessing from Charles himself.

Taylor Hackford, the movie's director, thought he might have found the best actor for the title role in Jamie Foxx, but he had to be certain by having the character and the actor meet.

After sitting down to play piano with each other, Charles declared Foxx the right man and paved the way for movie magic.

Foxx's portrayal of Charles is astounding. Touching, heartfelt and inspired, his performance indicates his acting skills have been carefully honed between his stints as a stand-up comedian and roles on various television shows.

His most memorable movie roles had been in "Any Given Sunday," "Ali" and, most recently, "Collateral." His work on those films was impressive, but it was merely practice for the turn he would take in "Ray."

Other powerful portrayals are of Ray's mother and wife, played respectively by Sharon Warren, a newcomer, and Kerry Washington of "Save the Last Dance."

Regina King plays Margie Hendricks, a Raelette and one of Charles' numerous mistresses, with startling emotional pitch.

The heat between Foxx and King sets the last half of the movie afire, the way his rising musical career lights up the first half.

"Ray" charts Charles' sad beginnings in rural Georgia and Florida to the days of his impressive millionaire trappings in Los Angeles and everything in between.

Twelve children, two wives, a heroin addiction, a conviction for drug possession, participation in the Civil Rights Movement and as many Grammys as he had children -- Ray Charles Robinson was one of the most amazing and conflicted artists of that time.

If you never knew, appreciated or understood that before, this dead-on movie will make certain that you do.

"Ray" must be seen by anyone who ever loved music, loved Ray Charles or loved movies.

It is worth every penny, and I ain't jiving you, baby!

Tara-Lynne Pixley, a student at Florida A&M University, writes for The Famuan. She can be reached at [email protected].

Posted Nov. 29, 2004