News

A good musical biopic generally lives or dies on the strength of the actor charged with bringing the subject to screen, not only in terms of their acting performance, but also with their ability to capture that certain essence that makes a musical icon so fundamentally special. And often because of that the same evaluation levelled at the performance becomes indicative of the film as a whole- so Walk The Line was good but not great, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll was excellent, and Beyond The Sea was just plain dull.

It is little wonder then, given the plaudits aimed at Jamie Foxx (including an Oscar nod for Best Actor), that Ray is considered a high-point for the genre.

Believe it or not, this was the first time I had ever sat down to watch Ray, some seven years after its cinematic release- thanks to Universal’s blu-ray re-release (replacing the...

Ray (2004) Direction: Taylor Hackford Cast: Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell, Harry Lennix, Bokeem Woodbine, Sharon Warren, Larenz Tate, Terrence Howard Screenplay: James L. White; from an original story by White and Taylor Hackford Oscar Movies Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, Ray Taylor Hackford's prosaic biopic Ray offers no more than a superficial look at the life and career of legendary singer and composer Ray Charles. I say "superficial" in that Ray may show Charles' stand against racism, in addition to his many women and drug abuse, but director-writer Hackford, co-screenwriter James L. White, and star Jamie Foxx ever so politely steer clear of Charles' psyche, obviously fearing his inner demons — if really let loose on screen — would have frightened, repelled, and/or angered potential patrons. Thus, like Martin Scorsese's The Aviator that same year, Hackford and White make use of pop psychology to explain — or rather,...

Following her breakthrough performance in Universal Pictures' Ray, Sharon Warren has inked a talent holding deal with CBS. Under the pact, the network will cast Warren in a pilot targeted for fall 2005. A Hollywood newcomer, Warren drew praise for her screen debut as Ray Charles' courageous mother Aretha Robinson in the Jamie Foxx-starring biopic of the music legend. The Boston critics voted her best supporting actress (tied with Laura Dern for We Don't Live Here Anymore), and Warren's performance is generating strong Oscar buzz.