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Ray (2004) Rank 5 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
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Poor
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Reviews by Score:
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)
A fit tribute to an entertainer who, no matter what hate or hardship threw in his way or how many mistakes he made, we can't stop loving. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for IMDB.comIMDB.com
Driven by a family tragedy, and his blindness at age seven, Ray Charles (Jamie Foxx) becomes a living example of how a jubilant thing known as the human spirit can make anyone overcome their limitations, both physically and emotionally. Due to the love ...read the complete Ray movie review at IMDB.com
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Movie Habit (Matt Anderson)Movie Habit (Matt Anderson)
At the film's conclusion, clips of the real life Ray Charles flash on the screen and, after seeing what the man went through, it's the stuff of goose bumps to see him stand triumphant. Ray is a fitting tribute to an icon who has inspired some of ...read the complete Ray movie review at Movie Habit (Matt Anderson)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for The Cinema Source (Paul Maniaci)The Cinema Source (Paul Maniaci)
Ray Charles lived a Technicolor existence of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, which translates cinematically in Ray. ...read the complete Ray movie review at The Cinema Source (Paul Maniaci)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for The Cinema Source (Alexis Tuminello)The Cinema Source (Alexis Tuminello)
When Ray was released in theaters I had absolutely no desire what-so-ever to see it. I mean, what could be so exciting about Ray Charles' life? Don't get me wrong, I like his music and thought Jaime Foxx was incredible in Any Given Sunday, but there's ...read the complete Ray movie review at The Cinema Source (Alexis Tuminello)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)
Review by Mark Dujsik Propelled by the life, times, and music of the late, great Ray Charles and a virtuoso performance by Jamie Foxx, Taylor Hackford's Ray emerges as an honest and loving tribute to one of the few, true legends of modern music.  ...read the complete Ray movie review at Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for The King's Room (Clyde Ayles)The King's Room (Clyde Ayles)
...read the complete Ray movie review at The King's Room (Clyde Ayles)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Empire Movies (Liam Cullin)Empire Movies (Liam Cullin)
Overall, it's hard not to recommend this movie. The music of Ray Charles is one thing, but you don't really know anything about the man until you've come to understand his remarkable life - and this movie is an exceptional tribute. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Empire Movies (Liam Cullin)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)
Just seeing the trailers for Ray you know this is something special, but just how special it is will not be realized until you get the chance to see it for yourself. I honestly can't think of a better transformation made by an actor for a role in a ...read the complete Ray movie review at RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for (Tony Medley)(Tony Medley)
Now Ray joins that select group as one of the best musical biographies. What I most liked about it wasn't the music, which is terrific, or the acting, which is exceptional, or the directing (Taylor Hackford), which is superb. ...read the complete Ray movie review at (Tony Medley)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Empire Movies (Erin Cullin)Empire Movies (Erin Cullin)
Ray is a movie that I will recommend without hesitation. This is a movie that will establish Jamie Foxx as an A-List actor (now let's hope that he continues to make movies like Ray and Collateral). But, more importantly, this is a movie that ...read the complete Ray movie review at Empire Movies (Erin Cullin)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Tail Slate (Michael Sheridan)Tail Slate (Michael Sheridan)
I wasn't sure what I'd think of Ray before watching it. I'd heard all the hype about Jamie Foxx' performance, but sometimes the hype is far from the reality. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Tail Slate (Michael Sheridan)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Palo Alto Online (Tyler Hanley)Palo Alto Online (Tyler Hanley)
Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles and Kerry Washington as Della Charles in RaySo you remember watching Jamie Foxx as Wanda -- a sex-crazed blonde with the face of a mule -- on TV's In Living Color and say to yourself: This is the last person on the planet who ...read the complete Ray movie review at Palo Alto Online (Tyler Hanley)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for IMDB.comIMDB.com
I could go on about Ray Charles' genius for business, for feeling the music, and for living life as independently and fiercely as he did. The movie does a much better job doing that; I am going to focus on what an amazing job Jamie Foxx did in this role. ...read the complete Ray movie review at IMDB.com
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Salon.com (Charles Taylor)Salon.com (Charles Taylor)
What Ray does right, combined with its generosity of spirit, makes it the most satisfying American movie of the year. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Salon.com (Charles Taylor)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
The movie would be worth seeing simply for the sound of the music and the sight of Jamie Foxx performing it. That it looks deeper and gives us a sense of the man himself is what makes it special. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
An extraordinary piece of biography. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for About.com Hollywood Movies (Rebecca Murray)About.com Hollywood Movies (Rebecca Murray)
An Unflinching Look at an American Legend"Ray" has been labeled the best movie of the year and the movie to beat at the Oscars. And those are just a couple of the many titles slapped on the film months before its theatrical release. ...read the complete Ray movie review at About.com Hollywood Movies (Rebecca Murray)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
Ultimately, it's the music that keeps me drawn into the film, followed closely by Jamie Foxx's soulful (in both senses of the word) performance. The time periods are recreated vividly, the direction is smooth, the film works. Now I think about Ray ...read the complete Ray movie review at The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for Looking Closer (Jeffrey Overstreet)Looking Closer (Jeffrey Overstreet)
Ray boasts great music, an Oscar-worthy lead performance, an impressive supporting cast, and an ambitious script. While it sorely abbreviates the details of Ray's lamentable track record with relationships, it at least admits his faults while dazzling ...read the complete Ray movie review at Looking Closer (Jeffrey Overstreet)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)
An extraordinary actor plays an extraordinary person in "Ray," the life of a brilliant musician and performer who triumphed over poverty, blindness, and racism through talent, passion, and courage. ...read the complete Ray movie review at The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.64 out of 4 stars for Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)
As a musical biography, Ray is driven by the primal excitement of rock-and-soul at the moment of its discovery. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.60 out of 4 stars for Time (Richard Corliss)Time (Richard Corliss)
If there were an Oscar for ensemble acting, Ray would win in a stroll. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Time (Richard Corliss)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.52 out of 4 stars for New York Post (Lou Lumenick)New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
Contains large helpings of Hollywood schmaltz, stereotype and clich‚, but it's also pretty impossible to resist. ...read the complete Ray movie review at New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.52 out of 4 stars for Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
Brilliantly embodied by Jamie Foxx in this unflinching, entertaining biography. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.52 out of 4 stars for New York Daily News (Jack Mathews)New York Daily News (Jack Mathews)
Every once in a while, a performance pops out of a Hollywood movie that is so brilliant and unique to the matching of actor to role that it's impossible to imagine anyone else achieving it. ...read the complete Ray movie review at New York Daily News (Jack Mathews)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.52 out of 4 stars for USA Today (Mike Clark)USA Today (Mike Clark)
Ray could not have been made without star Jamie Foxx. ...read the complete Ray movie review at USA Today (Mike Clark)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.52 out of 4 stars for Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Jamie Foxx gets so far inside the man and his music that he and Ray Charles seem to breathe as one. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
A great piece of acting can knock the hell out of tainted preconceptions. Or, in the case of Ray, director Taylor Hackford's electrifying take on the joyous art and pained soul of Ray Charles, it can move a film from the shoals of biopic banality to the ...read the complete Ray movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Big Picture Big Sound (Joe Lozito)Big Picture Big Sound (Joe Lozito)
Ask anyone for an opinion of " Ray," Taylor Hackford's biopic of musical pioneer Ray Charles, and you're likely to hear only two words: Jamie Foxx. Flirting with serious acting since his turn as a footballer in Oliver Stone's bombastic "Any Given ...read the complete Ray movie review at Big Picture Big Sound (Joe Lozito)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Filmtracks (Christian Clemmensen)Filmtracks (Christian Clemmensen)
The most interesting cues in Ray, however, are the three dream sequence cues (during which Charles' dreams of making it big) scored with the kind of deep rock and jazz flavour you would expect Charles to create for his own personal ...read the complete Ray movie review at Filmtracks (Christian Clemmensen)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)
Click here to listen to the interview with Taylor Hackford. Taylor Hackford's RAY does what the best of biopics should do, tell not just who someone is, or what someone has done, but the why behind it all, in this case Ray Charles. Based on his decades ...read the complete Ray movie review at Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for DVDActive (Casimir Harlow)DVDActive (Casimir Harlow)
Ray is a thoughtful, involving movie that suffers only slightly from being somewhat familiar in its storytelling. Despite this, the performances win your heart, centred on Jamie Foxx who truly deserves his awards for this role. Presentation-wise the ...read the complete Ray movie review at DVDActive (Casimir Harlow)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for The Movie ChicksThe Movie Chicks
When you make a movie about a legend, you can either gloss over the flaws and make him into a saint or do justice to the man's greatness and still allow him to be human. Ray opts to show the unvarnished truth about the great Ray Charles (Jamie Foxx). ...read the complete Ray movie review at The Movie Chicks
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for ShowBIZ DataShowBIZ Data
There's hardly a review of director Taylor Hackford's Ray Charles bio Ray that doesn't mention that it is certain to bring Jamie Foxx, who stars in the title role, an Oscar nomination and probably the best actor award. The film itself receives mixed ...read the complete Ray movie review at ShowBIZ Data
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Impressively directed, enjoyable biopic with terrific music sequences and an Oscar-worthy central performance by Jamie Foxx that more than justifies its lengthy running time.According to the press notes, it has taken director Taylor Hackford 16 years to ...read the complete Ray movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Empire Magazine [UK]Empire Magazine [UK]
Foxx's performance is nothing short of amazing, and Hackford's film overall does fine justice to Charles' musical legend and legacy. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Empire Magazine [UK]
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for IMDB.comIMDB.com
And wasn't Ray Charles the pitchman for Pepsi cola? Uh huh! But for those of us too young to know the real Ray Charles when he was raw and maturing, the film is a loving look back at how he overcame a hardscrabble upbringing. It looks at how he ...read the complete Ray movie review at IMDB.com
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for IMDB.comIMDB.com
It has taken director Taylor Hackford 15 years to fulfill his dream of making a film about the life of Charles. And the wait was worth it.For if ever an actor and subject coalesced into one being, it is Jamie Foxx, He does more than impersonate Charles ...read the complete Ray movie review at IMDB.com
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Kushmeer Farakhan)Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Kushmeer Farakhan)
Note: This is a review of the test screening. For the uninitiated, Unchain My Heart (now called simply Ray -- July 5th, 2004) is in a nutshell, a biography about Ray Charles, one of the greatest R and B/Jazz singers of the 20th Century. He's played by ...read the complete Ray movie review at Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Kushmeer Farakhan)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for (Peter Sobczynski)(Peter Sobczynski)
After a couple of reels, however, it shifts to a more conventional narrative and the old problems surface-too much to cover and too little time. ...read the complete Ray movie review at (Peter Sobczynski)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for The Movie Insider (Jack Moore)The Movie Insider (Jack Moore)
Hackford's film loses steam within its last fifteen minutes or so (an obscure dream sequence during the final moments are particularly anticlimactic), but because Ray runs such a difficult marathon for so long, we can forgive his exhaustion toward the ...read the complete Ray movie review at The Movie Insider (Jack Moore)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Three Movie Buffs (Patrick Nash)Three Movie Buffs (Patrick Nash)
My one minor complaint is that Ray is perhaps twenty minutes too long. Trimming a few scenes could have made this good movie even better. As is Ray is one of the best and most satisfying film biographies to come out of Hollywood in many years. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Three Movie Buffs (Patrick Nash)
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 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 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 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 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 3.25 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 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 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 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 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 3.20 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 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 3.20 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 3.00 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 2.80 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 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 2.68 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 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 2.52 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 2.50 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 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 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 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 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
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 2.40 out of 4 stars for TV Guide (Ethan Alter)TV Guide (Ethan Alter)
Foxx is the one standout in an otherwise overcrowded film. ...read the complete Ray movie review at TV Guide (Ethan Alter)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for New York Magazine (Ken Tucker)New York Magazine (Ken Tucker)
Sure, it’s the Jamie Foxx breakout role. But the movie around it is so systematically “inspirational” that it comes perilously close to sabotaging the breakout. ...read the complete Ray movie review at New York Magazine (Ken Tucker)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Film Threat (Rick Kisonak)Film Threat (Rick Kisonak)
The heart of Ray, of course, is the music and, whatever other shortcomings the film may have, it does not fall short as a showcase for the artist's greatest hits. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Film Threat (Rick Kisonak)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for The Hollywood Reporter (Kirk Honeycutt)The Hollywood Reporter (Kirk Honeycutt)
Unlike his songs, the film holds something back. It goes deep into a life filled with as much trouble and pain as triumph and accomplishment but never quite gets at the root of who Ray is. ...read the complete Ray movie review at The Hollywood Reporter (Kirk Honeycutt)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for The Onion (A.V. Club) (Nathan Rabin)The Onion (A.V. Club) (Nathan Rabin)
As Ray nears its abrupt ending, it veers into camp silliness, complete with a psychedelic freak-out withdrawal sequence straight out of a Roger Corman LSD epic. ...read the complete Ray movie review at The Onion (A.V. Club) (Nathan Rabin)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
I was looking forward to this film. I'm a fan of Ray and his music, and have heard some recent interviews with him on the radio. So, like you perhaps, I was expecting to see a film about a resilient talented fellow overcoming many obstacles to success. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for The IndependentThe Independent
The film keeps reminding us of the man's boldness as a musical innovator: fed up with generic limits, he had the idea of fusing R&B with gospel, for which stroke of brilliance he was accused of blasphemy. Charles was a man who, for better and ...read the complete Ray movie review at The Independent
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for ReelViews (James Berardinelli)ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Sluggish, conventional, and almost completely lacking in energy. ...read the complete Ray movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Reel.comReel.com
The great Ray Charles was never this lackluster. Ray, Taylor Hackford's biopic on the famed, influential musician, offers small glimpses into the legend and life of Ray Charles, but otherwise is a pretty paint-by-numbers approach that screams cable ...read the complete Ray movie review at Reel.com
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Dallas Observer (Robert Wilonsky)Dallas Observer (Robert Wilonsky)
Were it not for the performance of Foxx, the movie, which touches every base and slows to a crawl near home plate, would sink even when the score soars. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Dallas Observer (Robert Wilonsky)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie VoiceFilm Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
All of the hype plugged into Taylor Hackford's Ray Charles biopic Ray has centered on Jamie Foxx's performance as the legendary singer/songwriter. Yet the real energy and passion in this film does not belong to Foxx, but rather to a quartet of ...read the complete Ray movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Bullz-Eye.comBullz-Eye.com
Jamie Foxx does a wonderful job of bringing to life such a charismatic persona, and he certainly deserves an Oscar nod, but the film's negative direction kills the final product. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Bullz-Eye.com
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Village Voice (Michael Atkinson)Village Voice (Michael Atkinson)
Hackford's movie falls into a meandering saunter. As the music grows dull, so does the movie. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Village Voice (Michael Atkinson)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Chicago Reader (Jonathan Rosenbaum)Chicago Reader (Jonathan Rosenbaum)
Differs from other authorized Hollywood musical biopics in one striking detail: its subject, still alive when most of this was made, is almost never shown as a likable person. ...read the complete Ray movie review at Chicago Reader (Jonathan Rosenbaum)
Ray (2004) scores a combined 1.60 out of 4 stars for LA Weekly (Kim Morgan)LA Weekly (Kim Morgan)
For too many minutes of its two and a half hours, Ray flips through its cinematic pages with a breathless and-then-this-happened urgency, offering up little in the way of personality (or truth) beyond Jamie Foxx's strong performance. ...read the complete Ray movie review at LA Weekly (Kim Morgan)
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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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