Ray
April 2005 Reviewed by: Vince Hanada Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Ray is the life story of legendary musician Ray Charles. In the stellar title performance by Jamie Foxx, I saw the man as a human being with all his flaws, and I came away with a greater admiration for the legend.

Ray opens in 1948 when Charles was around 18 years old. He struggled early with people using his considerable talent for their own gain. Through the filmmaker’s use of clever scenes and flashbacks, I saw how jazz, country and western, blues, and gospel music influenced his unique sound. Through this early period of his life, I also saw Charles’ dark side as he struggled with drug addiction, women, and guilt from a childhood tragedy.

Jamie Foxx’s performance is stunning. I was fortunate enough to see Ray Charles in concert shortly before he died, and watching Foxx was like watching Charles on stage. Foxx captured every mannerism, right down to Charles’ head and leg movements during his concert performances. Foxx’s acting wasn’t just mimicry. He added depth to the character. I could really empathize with Charles as he fought his demons.

In addition to the fine performance of Foxx, other notable turns include Regina King as Raelette Margie Hendricks, and Curtis Armstrong as Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. King brings Hendricks to life, as she struggles with alcoholism and her relationship with Charles. During the performance of "Hit the Road, Jack," she sings angrily at Charles during their duet. This is fitting -- the performance in the movie comes at a time when their relationship was troubled. At first glance, Curtis Armstrong plays Ertegun as a straight-laced corporate businessman. Later, Etergun shows his true self as a hip songwriter with a keen eye for talent. He nurtures Charles to find his true voice, allowing him to blossom into a star.

Who could fault the soundtrack of Ray, which includes so much wonderful music? I liked the way director Taylor Hackford was able to incorporate Charles’ recordings into the movie. For example, during "What I’d Say," the microphone in the original recording must have been skewed slightly, as Charles’ voice initially sounds faint before the placement is corrected. This technical flaw is captured beautifully in the movie, sounding and looking completely natural. Another remarkable aspect of the soundtrack is its fidelity. I don’t remember my Ray Charles CDs sounding this good. There is a complete absence of the hiss that is noticeable on the remastered CDs. In addition to the music, the sound effects are also potent. The surround channels are used mostly for ambient effects, but up front there is good use of the front three speakers for pans and discrete effects. The use of Dolby Digital 5.1 is noticeable during a scene when Charles was a boy learning to use his hearing to visualize the world around him.

The video quality is very good. The movie has a vintage look to it, with the use of muted colors for the main story. Subtle shades of gray and black are nicely rendered, capturing the era well. During the flashbacks to Charles’ childhood, the colors become more vibrant, with greens really popping out. This effect is used to symbolize the time when Charles could see, hence the supersaturated colors.

The Ray DVD includes both the theatrical and extended versions of the film. I was bothered with the extended version, because the extended scenes were not fully produced. This resulted in a choppy movie -- the sound and video quality of these incorporated scenes did not match the quality of the rest of the film. You can view the 14 extra scenes on their own, which I think is a better way to see them. Other notable extras on the DVD are a documentary on Ray Charles called Ray Remembered and extended musical scenes.

Ray is both informative and immensely entertaining. Jamie Foxx is a worthy Oscar winner for his multi-layered, authentic performance. This is a DVD to watch repeatedly, especially the outstanding concert scenes.

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