This is topic Ray (2004) in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 10-28-2004, 06:35 PM:
 
Pretty good flick. Jamie Foxx did an excellent job in the role (except when he opened his eyes and looked like Jamie Foxx) and the movie flowed pretty smoothly from start to end without dragging, despite it's 2 1/2 hour run time.

Worth checking out at the theater rather than waiting for DVD.

3.5 out of 5
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 10-28-2004, 09:48 PM:
 
I'll stick my review in this spot this weekend. Suffice to say I've been looking forward to this one more than anything else released in recent months.

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10/30/04, 7:00PM, Regal Cinema World 8 in Eugene, House #3. Attendance maybe 75. Some kind of digital sound. Very good presentation, no complaints. Some very visible crap-code in one of the reels though (might have been #4).

4.5 out of 5 stars for Jamie Foxx, with a half-star deduction for a couple brief moments when he seemed like Jamie Foxx and not Ray Charles. But his performance is Oscar-worthy and when he's in the Ray groove, he nails it.

3.5 out of 5 for the movie overall. It's good, but it didn't blow me away, and it doesn't seem like "Best Picture" material to me. But as the story of Ray Charles and his remarkable musical career, it gets the job done nicely. Not boring considering its length either.

[ 10-31-2004, 12:21 AM: Message edited by: David Stambaugh ]
 

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Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 10-28-2004, 11:59 PM:
 
OMFG!

Brad and I agree.. AGAIN...

I liked the scripting in this flick... The film did flow relatively well, despite it's length. I have a newfound appreciation for Ray Charles now, God rest his soul. The film allowed me the opportunity to touch the pains he must have faced on a daily basis.

I never knew he was such a whore, nor did I know he was a herion addict, however, thinking back, I do recall seeing old footage of him with the 'junkie itch'. I simply didn't know that's what it was...

Overall, I thought Jamie Foxx would most liely be granted Oscar status for this role, if done right. I still think he's worthy enough to win, given the lack of competition this year, save JC and TPOTC.

I'd rate this one 4.5/5 becuase it lived up to all I thought it would be. I'm wondering what the ploy on Universals part is with only releasing limited amounts fo prints, versus the widespread 8000 normal prints released weekly? Oscar contention perhaps? An attempt to generate the buzz needed for such? Where's old Charles E. when you need him??
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 10-29-2004, 12:06 AM:
 
I say we start banning people for using acronyms. What the living hell are JC and TPOTC? The only things I can think of is "Jesus Christ" and "The Phantom of the Cock". Not everyone knows what you are referring to, thus acronyms should be illegal.
 

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Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 10-29-2004, 12:23 AM:
 
No Joe,

They should only be illegal because you, not them, suck....

It's Jim Caviezel in The Passion of The Christ.

My bad.
 

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Posted by Greg Davis (Member # 2687) on 10-29-2004, 01:30 PM:
 
Ray was something that really opened my eyes to a culture I really didnt know about, and i am always appreciative of that. Best movie since The Phantom of the Cock.

7.8835901 out of 8.019274
 

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Posted by Jason Miller (Member # 2341) on 10-29-2004, 06:39 PM:
 
I thought this was the best movie I have seen in a LONG time. even better than the Passion movie.

if Jamie Foxx doesnt get an academy nom forthis role, I will lose ALL faith in thier ability to pick ANYthing.
 

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Posted by Greg Davis (Member # 2687) on 10-30-2004, 03:21 AM:
 
Although I do believe his performance to be Oscar-worthy, don't forget about Motorcycle diaries, Finding Neverland, Closer and Spongebob Squarepants (ALEC BALDWIN !) could be possibles.
 

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Posted by Rich Granata (Member # 2285) on 10-30-2004, 12:02 PM:
 
"You are worfwiss Alec Balwin"

This movie was great. I learned a lot about the guy.
Good use of colors in the film.
 

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Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 11-01-2004, 08:33 PM:
 
I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

On the way home, my wife recalled the Ray Charles Carnegie Hall concert we attended a year or two ago, and said that seeing and hearing him in person was on a par with beholding Guernica and other Picasso works in their originals at MoMA, as the two salient cultural experiences of her arrival in America.

...............................................................

Unfortunately we had to see "Ray" at a multiplex, and the U.A. Midway in Forest Hills numbed us with 30 minutes of filmed advertisements for cars, cell phones and TV programs with something called "2wenty" which we endured for the first (and I hope last) time with poor monaural sound.
Bad enough, but then came a full fifteen minutes of film trailers. Forty-five minutes total of torture before the wonderful music of Ray Charles could begin!
 

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-07-2004, 05:06 PM:
 
Yep, I have to give Ray high marks all around...I didn't like the big time-jump in the last reel (post addiction).

Ray's sound was unique and that certainly came through in this film. They also avoided the need to play all of his "hits" which showed some restraint.

The acting was excellent. This was just good movie making.
4 out of 5 stars from me.

Now for a different perspective.....I hung around downstairs between shows (the advantage of being in a single, I guess)...anyway this film really shows the HUGE cross-section of the population Ray Charles [Robinson] played to.

We had probably the largest quantities of elderly (70+) white couples in attendance that I have EVER seen in the 16+ years I've been showing films at the Uptown. In addition to them there were all genders and colors of skin...families and dating couples. The only "group" not represented were the kiddies unless they were in tow with the aforementioned families. There were no "birthday party" crowds.

It was really nice to see such a diverse population in one large room...I must admit, I don't see that very often.

I know of no one that came out disliking the film but did hear comments about wanting more!

Steve
 

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Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 11-09-2004, 12:46 AM:
 
Ray was filmed almost entirely in New Orleans. One of the fun things in the movie is noticing New Orleans landmarks like the Hibernia Bank tower in "New York", etc.
 

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Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 11-22-2004, 05:57 PM:
 
Ray, the movie was good. Jamie Foxx, the actor, was better. Best actor of the year.
 

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Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 11-22-2004, 06:04 PM:
 
Steve,

Along with the crowds you saw, what type fo reaction(s) did you witness? I heard nothing but great things from the patrons! It's times such as this that make me proud to do what I do..

When you provide a quality presentation and get to witness praise and good comments from the audience during the credits and as they leave it just makes you feel good about what you do...
 

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-15-2005, 09:35 PM:
 
Excellent show. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this, except for the FUCKING STUPID IDIOT who sat next to me and ANSWERED HIS CELL PHONE during the show. This has happened at about half of the films that I have attended in the last year. Why do these people ALWAYS have to sit next to me (or in front of or behind me)? Why was this not a problem before 2004? Why hasn't someone shot these people yet?
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-25-2005, 02:24 AM:
 
Why didn't YOU shoot him? Anyway I am thinking about watching the RAY DVD tonight or tomorrow night, and I will return with my fabulous opinions!
 

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Posted by Eric Webb (Member # 2772) on 01-25-2005, 10:08 PM:
 
On DVD Feb. 1st
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-26-2005, 03:16 AM:
 
I watched Ray on DVD tonight and it was pretty good! I have no desire to ever watch it again, simply because movies like that don't lend themselves to repeated viewings, but the movie was well made, though I felt like I've seen it before. Perhaps the whole "going through drugs and womanizing" thing has been done in other movies? Not sure. But Jamie Foxx did do an outstanding job. I didn't even really think of him until late in the movie where he takes off his glasses and opens his eyes. I was like "Oh hell that's Jamie Foxx! It's Wanda! (from In Living Color)" But he deserves the nomination. I haven't seen the other films for the actors that have been nominated, so therefore I hope Jamie wins.

The DVD has the theatrical version and some sort of extendo edition. I watched the theatrical version. And no, the DVD isn't out yet, but managers of Blockbuster get DVDs early. Good thing my friend who has either a bachelor or a masters of art degree is the manager of the local Blockbuster!
 

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Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 01-26-2005, 12:08 PM:
 
The extendo edition adds 24 minutes to the movie.

I watched it last Sunday night (DVD) and my review is pretty close to Joe's. Jaime did a great job in the part. I watched the extendo version. I got mine from the studio.
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-26-2005, 08:48 PM:
 
I have heard that the extendo version seems like it is repeating scenes or whatnot, and that is why I chose theatrical.
 

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Posted by Don Cross (Member # 2980) on 02-07-2005, 12:52 AM:
 
Could the movie be considered historically accurate enought- or even educational enough to be shown in a school type of setting? Too bad it could never really make it to pg13.
 

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Posted by Jason M Miller (Member # 2597) on 02-12-2005, 01:22 AM:
 
I thought this movie was great Jamie Foxx did a GREAT job, I too hope he gets the Oscar
 

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 02-12-2005, 02:39 AM:
 
I liked it!
 

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Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 03-28-2005, 03:45 AM:
 
I finally got a chance to see it all the way through on DVD. It's a joyride of New Orleans theaters: the Saenger (the big atmospheric one-balcony house), & the Orpheum (two balconies, & looks like it has a proscenium over the top balcony) are used a couple of times. The hottest interior shot is in the Saenger: Ray Charles getting the idea from Milt Shaw to move to ABC at the top of a stairwell in the Saenger & getting upstaged by the ceiling & a small chandelier.

It's missing the Loew's, but it's got the 1930-ish Municipal Auditorium (built with pipe chambers), & most fun, an exterior of the New Orleans' oldest theatre: the Civic/Poche' (the Weeniemobile scene is in the now-glassless arcade).

A lot of the little stuff is delightful: listening to the commentary track, it turns out that the guy in the Atlantic booth to whom they don't have enough time to give a lot of exposition is the legendary Jesse Stone. He BELONGS there, & in his own movie, too.

Good lord, that Ampex was a visceral flashback.

quote: Steve Guttag

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I didn't like the big time-jump in the last reel (post addiction).

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quote: William Hooper

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A lot of the little stuff is delightful: listening to the commentary track, it turns out that the guy in the Atlantic booth to whom they don't have enough time to give a lot of exposition is the legendary Jesse Stone. He BELONGS there, & in his own movie, too.

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