Yeah Kevin,I saw it. I thought it was really good. His wife had some real mettle to stick with him the way she did. Very interesting show.

I went to see it in the theatre just before it left our city (they usually stay about 2 weeks, 3 if they're big). I thought it was fantastic. Jamie Foxx actually plays some of those piano lines; when you see the hands in the movie it's him.

Ray Charles had a copy of the script printed in braille, and changed some of it to make it more accurate. He ended up making it so he was more of an a------ to people like that backup singer or his manager. He was like "this isn't how it happened, I wasn't that nice."

He also met Jamie Foxx and taught him some of the piano stuff.

Remember it is Hollywood and not the real thing.. Close. It was anti climatic in that the story went along good and then ...poof only still subjects.. could have been better for the ending.. which was lacking the mood of the story. This is hollywood and not reality. Tinsel town.

When he died we played a few selections in our church in his honor on the next sunday service.

Remember the great for what he really was.

So many talented individuals have died mistreating their bodies over time. Yet they have left a message for others to go on in their own way for their own personal being and not copycats.

Appreciate those that are living for what they really are. None are gods. They are human and full of frailties but slightly different having visions of doing something that comes from within themselves and not a plan on paper. Evolution of the inner artistic self that is available to all but achieved by few.

Lesson.. Be all that you can while you can. Give back to the community something of yourself.

Giving always makes the giver feel good, better than the one on the receiving end.


Charlie

sure gonna miss Ray.

I seen that a couple weeks ago. I thought it was excellent. Never Knew he was junkie, though...
I hope he at least gets nominated for best actor.

i thought it was okay, I thought as a movie, it was kind of weak, though it captured the character of Ray Charles well, and it shed some light on a person I didn't know so well. I thought the way it ended was kind of half-baked, but all in all, it was pretty good. Jaime Foxx was very good as Ray I think.

Hey Kevin, I just rented this last evening. I loved it. I thought Foxx deserved every bit of the acclaim he recieved for his role in it.

And yes, what a soundtrack, man! My little lady thought it moved rather slowly, then she's not a big music fan, she actually fell asleep!

I never really knew about his trouble with heroin, the cause of his blindness, nor some folks' disdain for the twist he put on gospel music. Some interesting info, I may watch it again, myself....

Be cool bro' Kev....

B Kent

Yes, I liked "Ray," too. I thought Jamie Foxx was really as good as critics said, not just at playing Ray Charles, but as an actor. As with most biography, though, you come away with only snapshots and fragmented scenes because the script is mainly big events. We rarely see what Ray's normal life was like, which is unfortunate, but a fairly predictable choice for the filmmakers. There are a few contrived moments and some weak performances from supporting players, but Foxx and the music are easily worth the price of admission.

I couldn't help comparing it to Clint Eastwoods Bird, probably a more artistic film thats also better at showing the life of the musician/addict. Still, Charlie Parker only lived 1/3 of Ray Charles life, so it was easier for the Bird script to go deeper. I think Ray has a better lead performanceand a happier ending, of courseso its a stronger overall experience.

Thanks for the thread, by the way. I was curious what other musicians would think of the movie.

I have not seen it yet. Now I'm probably gonna rent it.

I wish they would have played "Oh Beautiful" at the end. It would have been a little sappy but much more redemptive.

The movie helped shed some Mr. Ray Charles. The movie left me thinking that I still didn't understand the man. It kind of showed him as just a junkie. There was so much more to him and I wish they could have talked a little more about the last 40 years of his life and even more on his development.