So apparently Ray Charles was blind, but he could still play piano.
Logically, one would assume he had some sort of magical power. Maybe he was a robot. Or just maybe he had magical robotic powers. Sadly, he was just blind and loved heroin … but more on that later.
The recently released biopic of Ray Charles, creatively dubbed “Ray,” tells the story of one of the most beloved figures in the history of music. Charles revolutionized rhythm & blues through his life’s work, combining a variety of musical styles into his own unique sound.
“Ray” starts off with Charles (Jamie Foxx, “Collateral”) going out to Seattle to get a start in the music business. He is stopped by the bus driver and told that the company can’t “be held responsible for a blind man.” Charles quickly responds with a well-crafted war alibi, convincing the driver to take him on.
This pattern of Ray never letting his impairment get the best of him and sweet-talking people who doubt him is consistent throughout the movie. In flashbacks viewers learn that Ray’s mother demanded that he neither let his blindness “make him into a cripple,” nor rely on other people for help. Through tough love, she helps him to work within his disability and become capable of things most would never think possible.
In essence, that’s what “Ray” is all about. Ray Charles Robinson (shortened to Ray Charles for style reasons) was determined to take full responsibility for almost every aspect of his life. Perhaps this is what makes him a flawed character as well.
Before going blind at the age of seven, Ray’s brother George drowned right in front of him. Unable to bury these demons, Charles resorts to using drugs to suppress his feelings of guilt. As the film progresses, he gets into harder drugs and eventually is addicted to heroin. This leads to almost all of the tension in “Ray,” mostly between Charles and his wife, Della Bea Robinson (Kerry Washington, “Save the Last Dance”).
As if the heroin wasn’t enough, Charles is also quite the womanizer. He is constantly cheating on his ever-faithful wife with various women including Margie Hendricks (Regina King, “Daddy Day Care”) and Mary Ann Fisher (Aunjanue Ellis, “Undercover Brother”). Although he’s always cheating on Della Bea, he refuses to consider leaving his family for anyone else. Because of this, all of the women he becomes involved with eventually become fed up with it and leave him.
Foxx turns in an astounding performance as Ray Charles, embodying him perfectly. While it would be simple for anyone to put on sunglasses, smile a lot and rock back and forth while hugging himself, Foxx takes it much further. He picks up on all of Charles’ true motivations, making the viewer understand the reasons behind all of his actions.
It’s easy to say that this film is horrible because it portrays Charles as a drug-addict who loves nothing more than cheating on his wife, but that wouldn’t be doing it justice. Director Taylor Hackford (“Proof of Life”) chooses to look at the side of Ray Charles that few were able to see, even if it wasn’t his best side. Ray is shown as a man torn between his interests — on the one hand he wants to be there for his friends and family, but on the other hand he feels a need to “self-medicate” and suppress his feelings of guilt from when he was young.
While this is certainly an amazing film, it does have its downfalls. For one thing, it’s two and a half hours long. This wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the fact that the narrative plods along at a zombified pace during certain areas.
Unfortunately, the bulk of the film is set in the ’50s and ’60s. Although this allows the plot to center around one main set of events, it neglects many of the things Charles did in later years. For one thing, it never hits on his uncanny ability to tell Coke apart from Pepsi. Again, the guy was blind. Hackford obviously didn’t do his research.
All kidding aside, “Ray” is likely the best film to come out this year. Foxx will without a doubt get an Oscar nod and hopefully win for his superb performance. “Ray” turns out to be the perfect outlet for his abilities, as well as for those of the entire cast. This movie stands as a true testament to a man who will forever be remembered for his courage and determination in the face of adversity.
Grade: A
