I always think movies which are biographies are never a good idea. After all, how is it possible to condense someone�s life into 2/3 hours? Would that do justice to that person in question? Often, many bits of that person�s life are left untold and characters are not well developed as there is just too much to tell in that short span of time.
So while Jamie Foxx put in an Oscar-winning performance in Ray, (deservedly or not I can�t judge �cos I didn�t watch Leonardo Dicaprio in The Aviator and Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda) the film was rather boring. Ray Charles, like many of those personalities who have had their lives played out in films, is one of those larger than life characters. To try to spell out every important detail of his life would make the film a long drawn-out affair.
Ray is like The Aviator meets Million Dollar Baby. Like the former it is a biopic, and like the latter it is about overcoming obstacles and achieving the American Dream. Foxx definitely steals the show with his excellent portrayal of the late legend. He�s got Charles� mannerisms spot on.
Credit goes to director Taylor Hackford who portrays the late legend as a real person--we are led to know that Charles was no saint. Like many musicians on the road, Charles indulged in drugs and women in the 1950s. So despite his obvious talent, we are made to feel sorry for his wife and the other women in his life with the callousness in which he treats them.
Of course, there�s lots of music in the film and it�s probably just about the only thing that keeps the film going after two hours (I eyed several people checking their watches). The film is like a 2 � hour Ray Charles concert and anyone erstwhile unacquainted with Ray Charles� music will come out of the film being given a huge dose of it.
A fitting biopic of the man, but one that's more for the Ray Charles fan.
Posted by DSD at March 9, 2005 8:47 AMI think movies that are based on biographies are more difficult to be a good movies. A 3-hour show can never show justice to the person being portrayed in the show, but there are a few which have been a tremendous success as the show combines a particular theme which the producer wants to emphasize. Examples are Passion of Christ, Sinchindler list (Not sure if this is the right spelling), and many more.
Posted by: Stranger at March 9, 2005 8:40 PM