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The story of Ray – that of an impoverished, blind child of the segregated
South who went on to break down social and artistic barriers and change the
history of American music – is the quintessentially American story of a man’s
fight to control his own destiny.
Drama Musical - This inspirational biography of the late singer is aimed at adult
moviegoers. Drug use and adult themes make the film inappropriate
for younger children.
PROFANITY: 8 GD's, many others. SEX/NUDITY: Implied sexual situations and fleeting related nudity. VIOLENCE: Some fighting and a slap. DRUGS/ALCOHOL: Alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and heroin use. ACTION: None. COMEDY: Wisecracks and comic situations, some innuendo.
The above rating is an average of the critic reviews below.
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Berardinelli, Internet CriticFull Review Average Taylor Hackford's Ray has a tremendous performance by Jamie Foxx and a soundtrack that is jammed with recordings by the late Ray Charles, but both work in service of a paint-by-numbers screenplay that runs too long and could have been developed in Biopic 101. This is a stagnant motion picture that runs out of energy well before the halfway point, then staggers through the seemingly interminable final hour.
Roger EbertFull Review Excellent The movie would be worth seeing simply for the sound of the music and the sight of Jamie Foxx performing it. That it looks deeper and gives us a sense of the man himself is what makes it special. Yes, there are moments when an incident in Ray's life instantly inspires a song (I doubt "What'd I Say?" translated quite so instantly from life to music).
Note: The rating
above is our interpretation of what the critic would give this movie based on
their review. We are not affiliated with these critic's in any way.
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DETAILED OPINIONS
The positive and negative comments made by moviegoers are very
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OPINION OVERVIEW The following is the original "What's Worth
Watching" write-up for this movie.
Moviegoer Opinions:
We collected 240 moviegoer opinions. OUTSTANDING OPINIONS! I haven't seen such a large percentage of "Fantastic" opinions in a long time. Equally important is the fact that no one rated it low. "RAY" IS A MUST SEE!
If a life is merely the sum of its parts, then the story of Ray
Charles might read as a tale of personal highs and lows behind a lengthy,
award-winning career in the music business.
But for a man who synthesized his struggles, pain and personal
darkness as effectively as he incorporated a myriad of musical styles—Jazz,
Rhythm & Blues, Rock and Roll, Gospel, Country & Western—into his art,
the story reads much differently, transformed from a sequence of events and
accomplishments into a compelling and ultimately inspiring journey of a one-of-a-kind genius with a
distinct vision…who, along the way, gave the world a new way to hear.
