Ray (DVD)

"If you want to do something to make your mama proud, promise me. Promise me you won't let nobody turn you into no cripple, you won't become no charity case, and you'll stand on your own two feet." Confession: Before watching "Ray", my total knowledge of the life of Ray Charles amounted to sub-"back off a fag packet" levels. He was a blind, American performer who apparently had Georgia on his mind. As a lover of a wide variety of music, this was a situation I set about resolving by renting "Ray", a biopic directed by Taylor Hackford and released in 2005. And do I know much about him after the movie? ...  Read the complete review

In June 2004 the music world said farewell to a musical legend - Ray Charles. Whilst the man was still alive a film was being made telling us the story of his life. Fortunately, he was able to be creatively involved with the film before he died and approved of Taylor Hackford's work. The film Hackford created is a colourful account of Charles life and a fitting tribute to his 50 years in the music business. Ray Charles started his musical career as a jazz singer imitating artists such as Nat King Cole and Louis Jordan. He was known more for his innovative performances than his songwriting. From jazz he moved to rhythmn and blues and then to early rock and ...  Read the complete review

Ray Charles was an outstanding jazz, R&B and dare I say it pop artist for nearly 50 years. He passed away in 2004 just before this movie was released and the movie looks at Ray's childhood and his early years in the music business through to his success as a chart topper and also the battles he was fighting throughout this period. The movie is directed by Taylor Hackford. The film slips between Ray's life as an adult to touching scenes from his childhood, witnessing his brothers harrowing death to beginning to go blind, the scenes are poignant and his mother's tough, independent 'don't let nobody treat you like a cripple' attitude has ramifications on ...  Read the complete review

This is an amazing movie! To be honest when I heard that Jamie Foxx was playing Ray Charles in this movie, "Ray", I did not think he could pull it off. I just could not picture Jamie as being serious and come on, Ray Charles is a legend and a complex person to play. Jamie completely blew me away and after seeing the movie I can not imagine anyone else playing this part. This movie won two Oscars as well as another thirty eight movie award wins! (Award information found at imdb.com). This movie deserved every one of those awards! This movie will play yo-yo with your emotions! I am shocked no one else has reviewed this movie it is a must ...  Read the complete review

Born Ray Charles Robinson in 1930 in a poor part of Georgia, the singer and pianist we know simply as Ray Charles did not have the easiest of starts in life. Cared for by his single mother, he witnessed the drowning of his brother at a young age, and by seven, was blind in both eyes. Despite this, his mother entreated him to keep working and to never let his disability get the better of him. His drive and enthusiasm for life was soon to pay dividends in the form of a successful music career, with hits in the charts and a lucrative record contract. Yet his life was not all roses - addicted to heroin, Ray was nearly imprisoned more than once and had extra-marital affairs. ...  Read the complete review