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Ray (2004) Rank 3 Reviews

Expert Review Summary
Movie critics combined give Ray (2004) a score of 3.1444 out of 4
based on (103) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Excellent
4
Excellent
(43)
Very Good
3
Very Good
(45)
Good
2
Good
(15)
Fair
1
Fair
(0)
Poor
0
Poor
(0)
Reviews by Score:
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.32 out of 4 stars for Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
A frequently transporting depiction of the early and middle life of Ray Charles, the film soars on remarkable performances, a convincing sense of time and place, and, of course, the glorious music for which Charles was rightly billed as The Genius. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Ray is a big-time bio-pic about one of the most popular and influential musicians of the 20th century, Ray Charles, who passed away shortly before the film's release in 2004. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for MovieFreak.com (Dylan Grant)MovieFreak.com (Dylan Grant)
Every once in a while, a film comes along that tells the true story of someone who conquered life, who was so inspiring a human being that we all want to strive to be better. Ray tried to be that film, but for all its grand ambitions, the film remains ...read the complete Ray movie review at MovieFreak.com (Dylan Grant)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for DVDActive (Bryan Rickert)DVDActive (Bryan Rickert)
While I was left disappointed in the movie as a whole, there is still a lot to like about Ray as it is a very touching tribute to a fallen legend. Jamie Foxx’s performance alone makes the film worth at least a rental, with the majestic rhythms of ...read the complete Ray movie review at DVDActive (Bryan Rickert)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for The Reel McCoy (Patrick McCoy)The Reel McCoy (Patrick McCoy)
Ray Charles. He's still winning Grammies even after his passing last year (2004). The man was a legend, and his music lives on giving him a shade of immortality. He spoke to all of us through his music which entertained us, touched us, and inspired us. ...read the complete Ray movie review at The Reel McCoy (Patrick McCoy)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Movie Gazette (Anton Bitel)Movie Gazette (Anton Bitel)
Jamie Foxx puts the soul into 'Ray' - and probably the Oscar, too. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Movie Gazette (Anton Bitel)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Future Movies (Ed Colley)Future Movies (Ed Colley)
Before I saw Taylor Hackford's biopic of the great man, my paltry experience of Ray Charles was limited to his jolly rendition of 'Shake Your Tail Feather' in the all-together brilliant The Blues Brothers. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Future Movies (Ed Colley)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for That Cow (Andrew Bradford)That Cow (Andrew Bradford)
I don't want to ever be personally involved in a biopic. On one level, it's a simple proposition. The facts of someone's life are usually plain and simple, and you only have so much dramatic leeway before you lose your audience. There's only so much ...read the complete Ray movie review at That Cow (Andrew Bradford)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
All of the casting is solid here, with a welcome, primarily African-American cast. Regina King, Kerry Washington, and especially Sharon Warren are all wonderful. They lend strength to a movie that recognizes and highlights its supporting elements, from ...read the complete Ray movie review at Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)
It's all about the music. Try not to pay too much attention to this simplistic, episodic, almost old fashioned paean to the genius of Ray Charles by director Hackford Taylor and just sit back and listen to the music and watch Jamie Foxx' performance. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Empire (Angie Errigo)Empire (Angie Errigo)
Falling on the meaty, potential role of a lifetime like a ravenous lion, erstwhile comedian Jamie Foxx, so good in "Collateral," is just wonderful as the eponymous star. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Empire (Angie Errigo)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Variety (Todd McCarthy)Variety (Todd McCarthy)
Bursting at the seams with music, Taylor Hackford's ambitious film provides a good sense of the pioneering entertainer's extraordinary journey and brings it to life with plenty of colorful detail. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Variety (Todd McCarthy)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Washington Post (Desson Thomson)Washington Post (Desson Thomson)
There may not be a bigger-hearted performance this year than Jamie Foxx's in Ray. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Washington Post (Desson Thomson)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Cinema Signals by The Filmiliar CineasteCinema Signals by The Filmiliar Cineaste
The story of a creative person rising to attention, success and stardom and then hitting the bottle or drugs and spoiling a good part of his life is not, anymore, much of an attention getter. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Cinema Signals by The Filmiliar Cineaste
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for FilmFocus.Co.UK (Scott Andrews)FilmFocus.Co.UK (Scott Andrews)
Charting the rise of Charles from his red dirt poor youth, through bereavement, blindness, drug addiction, marriage, infidelity, exploitation, independence, success, civil rights fights and beyond, this was never going to be a film that would struggle ...read the complete Ray movie review at FilmFocus.Co.UK (Scott Andrews)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for DVD Talk (Preston Jones)DVD Talk (Preston Jones)
An entertaining look at a complicated, brilliant man, Ray will forever be Jamie Foxx's calling card as well as the dream project that finally realized by Taylor Hackford. The energy and passion these two invest in what would've otherwise been a rote ...read the complete Ray movie review at DVD Talk (Preston Jones)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Cinema in Focus (Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin)Cinema in Focus (Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin)
Jamie Foxx brings Ray Charles back to life in Taylor Hackford's film, "Ray." Having recently died in 2004 and serving as an advisor on the project, Ray Charles is not a distant memory whose moving music and cultural impact is forgotten. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Cinema in Focus (Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for PM Media Review (Patrick Vu)PM Media Review (Patrick Vu)
Jamie Foxx has come a long way since "In Living Color's Wanda" and his rise to A-list performer is just beginning. Best Actor Oscar? Absolutely, although, Leonardo Dicaprio definitely deserves the nod and in any other year without the heavily favored ...read the complete Ray movie review at PM Media Review (Patrick Vu)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
If ever there was a pop-music biopic crying to be made, that movie is "Ray," about Ray Charles, the legendary singer, pianist, and songwriter who died in June. Small wonder it's directed by Taylor Hackford, a pop-savvy filmmaker whose credits include ...read the complete Ray movie review at Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for IMDB.comIMDB.com
Ray's effective polygamy, however, wasn't his biggest problem. He was a junkie with an addiction to heroin that lasted for decades, getting into him serious trouble and almost messing up his music career more than once.The movie suffers too, but from a ...read the complete Ray movie review at IMDB.com
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
The movie is a bit on the long side. It could have been trimmed a bit more. While the film is pretty harsh in its depiction of Ray, it is pretty soft on the other characters. Punches are pulled. The film is directed by Taylor Hackford ("Proof of Life"). ...read the complete Ray movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
Along the way, Ray Charles loses countless girlfriends, nearly all of an estimated 12 offspring, a lot of the vanity associated with major performers and all but a hint that he was sometimes performance-impaired. But Taylor Hackford's "Ray" ...read the complete Ray movie review at Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for MovieWeb (Rick Kisonak)MovieWeb (Rick Kisonak)
Taylor Hackford's big screen bio of Ray Charles is an earnest exercise in the mold of Hollywood movies about other musical legends like Buddy Holly (The Buddy Holly Story), Ritchie Valens (La Bamba) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Great Balls of Fire) but ...read the complete Ray movie review at MovieWeb (Rick Kisonak)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
Every time former Booty Call-er Jamie Foxx rasps his voice, sways gracefully on a piano bench, or hugs his own torso in triumph, we lose the actor we’ve come to know completely. Left standing in his place is the late Ray Charles, staring back at ...read the complete Ray movie review at filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Parent PreviewsParent Previews
While the strong anti-drug message is hard-hitting, the attitude toward women (and the scenes of back and chest nudity) will likely leave many parents feeling blue about sharing this amazing life story of an incredible performer with their own ...read the complete Ray movie review at Parent Previews
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Premiere (Peter Debruge)Premiere (Peter Debruge)
Delivers platinum performances, especially Sharon Warren as Ray's tough-lovin' mother, Kerry Washington as his lily-tempered wife, and Regina King as his spitfire mistress. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Premiere (Peter Debruge)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
It's conventional in approach and sometimes sentimental, even corny, in its content. But there were so many fascinating overtones in Mr. Charles's life and career that any account of them is bound to be riveting at least part of the time. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Toronto StarToronto Star
No case needs to be made for the wonder of the music of the late Ray Charles. Already it has transcended time, race, genre, physical disability, technology and fashion. Now it even soars above the very movie about what made it so great in the ...read the complete Ray movie review at Toronto Star
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
Foxx's complex performance and the filmmaker's willingness to look at the dark side place Ray safely out of the realm of typical Hollywood hagiography. ...read the complete Ray movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)
If Ray fails to present a genuine portrait of a complex man's essence, it does leave you with an even greater sense of awe for Charles' accomplishments, both in his personal and public lives. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips, Jr.)Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips, Jr.)
What works are individual scenes. I liked the scenes involving the workings of the recording industry, especially Ray's triumph in getting contol of his master recordings when he switched to ABC Paramount mid-career. I liked the tour bus scenes of ...read the complete Ray movie review at Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips, Jr.)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.80 out of 4 stars for The New York Times (A.O. Scott)The New York Times (A.O. Scott)
While not a great movie, is a very good movie about greatness, in which celebrating the achievement of one major artist becomes the occasion for the emergence of another. ...read the complete Ray movie review at The New York Times (A.O. Scott)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.80 out of 4 stars for Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Ray may be too by the numbers, but with Jamie Foxx out front, this is one film that knows how to make it all add up. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.80 out of 4 stars for Washington Post (Teresa Wiltz)Washington Post (Teresa Wiltz)
It is to the film's credit -- and Foxx's -- that we are able to see, behind the flash and fury, a man who didn't know how to love, and was so much the lonelier for it. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Washington Post (Teresa Wiltz)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.68 out of 4 stars for Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)
No matter the movie's pitfalls, Ray, we can't stop loving you. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.52 out of 4 stars for Boston Globe (Ty Burr)Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
He (Ray) was, a more complicated man than this film, or perhaps any film, dares allow. Foxx is not at fault here. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.52 out of 4 stars for The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Liam Lacey)The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Liam Lacey)
Ray rambles on for two hours and 40 minutes, mining repetitive episodes like a TV miniseries. ...read the complete Ray movie review at The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Liam Lacey)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.52 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)
It's a shame about Ray, because Foxx is trapped in a movie that takes the music icon's unique story and turns it into cheesy, sentimental American Dream cliches. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.52 out of 4 stars for Baltimore Sun (Chris Kaltenbach)Baltimore Sun (Chris Kaltenbach)
It's a shame his (Foxx) performance isn't surrounded by a better film. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Baltimore Sun (Chris Kaltenbach)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Bucket Reviews (Danny Baldwin)Bucket Reviews (Danny Baldwin)
Those who regularly follow multiple critics may be tired of reading the insurmountable amount of praise that Jamie Foxx is receiving for his performance in Ray, but speaking as one who has seen the movie, I am here to announce that such rave is simply ...read the complete Ray movie review at Bucket Reviews (Danny Baldwin)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Nick's Flick Picks (Nick Davis)Nick's Flick Picks (Nick Davis)
Clocking in at a rather undisciplined 152 minutes, Ray doesn't get better or worse as it goes along; at all moments, it is a blend of the workmanlike with the unresolved, the piquant and the tendentious, the stuff that do right and the ...read the complete Ray movie review at Nick's Flick Picks (Nick Davis)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia InquirerPhiladelphia Inquirer
Jamie Foxx has Ray Charles down. In Ray, an otherwise depressingly conventional biopic, the actor brings the singer and musician to blood-pumping, nerve-jangling life. Cocking his head sideways, walking and talking in cadences familiar to ...read the complete Ray movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for SPLICEDwireSPLICEDwire
But at least "Ray" doesn't gloss over such egotistical shortcomings. ...read the complete Ray movie review at SPLICEDwire
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt)St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt)
But "Ray" abandons that structure, shifting to a this-then-this-then-this recounting that distances us from the singer and that makes "Ray" feel like "The Doors" or "The Rose" or any old movie about a performer who was rocked and rolled by sex and drugs. ...read the complete Ray movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Boston GlobeBoston Globe
Here's how good Jamie Foxx is in "Ray": For the duration of the film's 2 hours, it never once crosses your mind that you're watching an actor play Ray Charles. The big black sunglasses help, and so does the fact that every time Foxx opens his ...read the complete Ray movie review at Boston Globe
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Movie Reviews: Biography
Ray (2004) Reviews
Ray (2004)

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Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.
Overall Rating:
3.1774
Ray (2004) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
Avg Critic Score:
3.1444
Ray (2004) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
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