What'd I Say?

No longer will I look at Jamie Foxx and think of Booty Call. After seeing Ray this weekend, my opinion of him has changed completely based upon his performance. Actually, the last two movies he's been a part of have altered my opinion somewhat, but this one has reversed it entirely, unless he goes about and makes Booty Call 2, I'll be hard-pressed to remember what his performance was like in the original.

Ray itself is a really good film. Sunday nights are starting to seem like good nights for movies too, because you can still show up 15 minutes before the movie, and find plenty of seating. Although we did find ourselves surrounded by talkers, I was so wrapped up in the drama that it was inconsequential. The story itself is enthralling as you watch the life of Ray Charles the musician begin to take shape over the course of a decade. From working small bars in Seattle, to headlining national tours, Ray Charles showed a genius that never really developed until he was able to break out on his own. He had a charisma that hid a crippling heroin addiction and addiction to women that he fought with early on in his career, but it appeared that his talent and his will to persevere overcame all of this to become a musical legend. Most compelling was his early childhood and his mother's unwillingness to let him become less than he could be and her determination for him to become more than she ever was. It was this relationship that drove him, and ultimately the emotional core of the story.

Jamie Foxx gave the performance of his life. His depiction of Ray Charles is spot-on so much so, that you forget you're watching an actor and instead feel that what you're seeing is reality. He was so dedicated to this role that he wore a facial prosthetic to mimic blindness and experienced the world as Ray Charles would have. He put on an extremely brave performance, displaying not just the physical movements and vocal timbre, but also played the heck out of the piano. I mean, when they could have gotten a body double to play the music that made Ray Charles famous, there was no need in that Jamie Foxx is quite an accomplished pianist in his own right. Impressive.

I'd say this is the first great movie of the Fall movie season, and if you get a chance, go out and see it, if not just to experience some fine performances and a good story, but to be flat-out entertained in the process.

Overall Score: 4 out of 5 stars