Ye Olde Rad Blog

Saw Ray yesterday. Hadn't planned on it. Was driving by the theater & decided to stop & see what was playing. A spur-of-the-moment thing. Ray was the only show starting at the time we arrived. I was surprised to see the theater packed for a Sunday matinee.

Excellent film. Well made. I feel comfortable putting it on my official Recommended list. Longer than most movies: 2½ hours, but it never dragged. From the opening scene, it started strong and held my attention 'til the very end. It moved along with no noticeable dead spots.

After the movie was over, as the credits started rolling, I overheard one of the girls sitting behind us say, "That was *so* good." I could tell from the way she emphasized the word 'so' that she felt the same way we did.

••• continued •••

This film has been out for over 3 weeks. I'd read all the reviews, and noted how much everybody liked it. But the storyline never grabbed me. And the idea of Jamie Foxx playing Ray Charles never sat right with me.

Well, I can see now, that it's not so much the storyline, but rather the production values that make this film shine. It's obvious that a lot of love was poured into it. You can sense the respect the filmmakers have for the man. And his music doesn't hurt. =)

Jamie Foxx, the actor, never gets in the way of Ray Charles, the legend. Quite a feat, really. He just took a giant step forward in my book. Foxx succeeded where Will Smith did not in Ali: you were always conscious it was Will Smith acting as Muhammad Ali. It never occurred to me before that, as a pure actor, Foxx eclipses Smith. (Will Smith still has more charisma, tho.)

Again, this is a well-made movie. I don't know if Foxx will get an Oscar, but I'd be surprised if he doesn't get nominated. Either way, his career will never be the same.

Ray Charles used to play every summer down at Humphreys-by-the-Bay in San Diego. I never saw him cuz he was always the most expen$ive ticket. But everybody always told me he put on a great show. They'd say, "Dude, you gotta see Ray Charles. Unbelievable show." Now that he's dead, I regret not catching one.