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Album Review
by SaschaS
20-1-2005
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| 'Ray': the best biopic ever, probably |
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Ray Charles: 'Ray'
(Paramount/Rhino)
‘Ray’ - an incredible biopic/OST
Music was a way of life for Ray Charles and nothing could interfere with it... That is probably why he produced such brilliant music of an incredible array. The man broke many a barrier and did as much for destroying American race-divisions as Malcolm X.
Now, ‘Ray’ is the never-before-told, musical biographical drama of American legend Ray Charles, brought to the big screen following a 15-year journey by award-winning filmmaker Taylor Hackford and featuring a remarkable performance from the multi-talented Jamie Foxx.
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.
‘Ray’ is the move that traces Mr Charles’s life, the man who was Mr Music, the Genius of all genres living every single note and chord of life! Filming started whilst Charles was alive, he also did all the music, and it can’t fail to touch your heart with recreation of the segregated post-WWII American society, his breaking through, fight against early exploitation, early success, love, addiction...
And, what a performance by Jamie Foxx - fairly decent in the recent Tom Cruise vehicle ‘Collateral’ - that rightfully secured him an Oscar nomination but winning it, despite being excellent in the role that secured him a Golden Globe recently, may be blocked by Leo Di Caprio’s portrayal of Howard Hughes in ‘The Aviator’.
‘Eay’ is a biopic that sets a new standard… Probably, one of the best in the genre - ever! Looking strikingly similar to Charles, Foxx embodies the singer in all his facets - musical genius, blind man, womaniser and heroin-addict. No prettifying here and his addiction is portrayed fairly, honesty and openly.
For the difference from the recent ‘De-Lovely’ - with a cast of current artists’ cameos to a Hollywood recipe - the Cole Porter’s lifestory that felt so staged, tempo-less and near-boring. No surprise Kevin Cline-starring movie managed to rake in only a miserly 300+ grand at the UK‘s box-offices. [It must have cost more to get Ashley Judd character’s costumes!]
If you are going to see one film this year we urge you to go for ‘Ray’. The movie also celebrates individuality [now as passé as last year’s collection] and enthusiasm/bravery of music bosses: there is a scene when Charles is improvising with legendary Atlantic Records boss Ahmet Ertegun, on one of his first hits ‘Mess Around’, that is imaginable no more.
Accompanying the cinema release is the ‘Ray’ OST, a selection of songs hand-picked by the man himself before his untimely departure. The soundtrack displays definitive key works of his extensive catalogue, from 'I've Got A Woman'- his first #1 hit in the US R&B chart, to 'What I'd Say' - the first R&B song to successfully crossover into the pop charts, to 'Georgia On My Mind' - honoured as the official song of the state of Georgia, and 'Unchain My Heart', are just a few of the original master recordings featured on this remarkable soundtrack collection. Ray Charles, simply, at his best!
Mr Charles did nothing less than revolutionise the face of popular music, with his early soul music defining singles, his groundbreaking soul-jazz recordings, his bold forays of fusing gospel and country with blues to mould them into popular music. Extraordinary film, exceptional music, the late ‘Genuis of Soul’, unique…
9.6/10
SaschaS
20-1-2005
Ray Charles’s original soundtrack to ‘Ray’ is available now on Rhino
‘Ray’ film is released nationwide tomorrow, 20 January 2005
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