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| Dvdivas
was founded by John Gabbard in 2000. It's purpose has been and
remains to be to provide you, the entertainment community with
the latest dvds and movie reviews. It will continue to be your
link to the most popular dvd movies. |
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“Ray”
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Reviewed
by: |
Wayne A. Klein |
| Genre: |
Biography
|
| Video: |
1.85:1 Anamorphic
widescreen |
| Audio: |
Dolby Digital
5.1 |
| Languages |
English,
French |
| Subtitles |
English,
Spanish, French |
| Length |
153 minutes
|
| Rating |
PG-13 |
| Release Date |
2/1/05 |
| Studio |
Universal
Home Entertainment |
| Commentary:
|
Taylor Hackford
|
| Documentaries:
|
Walking in
His Shoes |
| Featurettes:
|
Ray Remembered |
| Filmography/Biography:
|
Cast & Filmmakers
|
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Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
Trailer |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
Deleted scenes
|
| Music
Video: |
Uncut music performances
from the movie including “Hit the Road Jack” |
| Other:
|
None |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Jamie Fox,
Kerry Washington, Curtis Armstrong, Clifton Powell, Harry Lennix,
Terence Dashon Howard, Larenz Tate, Richard Schiff, Regina King
|
| Written
By: |
James L.
White |
| Produced
By: |
Taylor Hackford
|
| Directed
By: |
Taylor Hackford
|
| Music:
|
Craig Armstrong
|
| The
Review: |
No matter which name they announce
on Oscar night, Jamie Foxx will still be the winner. The only
true competition this year would have been Jeff Bridges’ searing
performance in The Door in the Floor or Paul Giamannti in
Sideways and neither one of these actors was nominated. Foxx’s
performance towers above everyone else nominated this year.
He channels Charles’ energy, quirks, movements and personality
in a performance that doesn’t mimic but goes right to the
heart of the man. ***
Director Taylor Hackford’s love
of music infuses this film as it has just about every other
one he’s directed. The difference here is that Hackford truly
has found a larger-than-life but very mortal artist that changed
the sound of R&B by merging it seamlessly with the emotional
power of gospel, country and western and just about any other
genre Charles effortlessly tackled. What makes Ray so powerful
is its unflincing honesty about Charles’ demons and infidelities.
It also shows that, regardless of Charles’ sins, his salvation
always could be found in the emotional core of his music.
|
| Image
and Sound: |
Ray looks
very good on DVD. The length of the theatrical release along
with the inclusion of deleted scenes for the longer DVD release
means that the image quality has been compromised just a tad.
The colors are rich with remarkable detail and the solid blacks
are highlights of this transfer. 25 minutes of additional footage
has been added back and you do have the option to either watch
the original version or this extended version. The image quality,
color and clarity vary a bit as it cuts between the theatrical
version and the deleted scenes. Clearly, this wasn’t recut and
retimed for this “extended” version. The difference between
the finished film and the added scenes are quite noticeable
and jarring. The 5.1 soundtrack features a rich full bodied
sound that immediately pulls you into the action. Charles’ songs
(featuring both original and new recordings) sound terrific
in the 5.1 format. |
| The
Extras: |
The inclusion
of the 25 minutes of footage is a welcome addition but there
are a couple of problems. Unlike Fox’s superb extended branching
editions of the Alien films, the disc pauses as it searches
for the deleted scenes. This disrupts the continuity and flow
of the movie. Personally, I would have preferred this in a
2 disc set featuring both the theatrical cut and the extended
version along with extras on the flipside of one of these
discs. There IS a two disc edition but it’s bogged down by
extras many of which are little more than padding. We also
get to see the complete uncut performances of Ray & The Raelettes
performing Hit the Road Jack and a number of other tracks
cut for the film. Walking in His Shoes features Jamie Foxx
discussing his performance of Charles and Charles himself
performing with Foxx. Luckily Foxx was trained as a classical
pianist which means he holds his own against the far more
soulful Charles when they perform together in a jam session.
It’s fun to watch and a worthwhile addition to the set. Ray
Remembered features interviews with those that worked with
him past and present both on his albums and those that observed
him while working on the film. ---
|
| Commentary:
|
Taylor Hackford’s
incisive commentary track tackles a wide range of topics from
the challenges of shooting the film, recreating the past and
the wonder and awe he felt working with both Foxx and Charles.
It’s one of the few solo commentary tracks worth listening to
from beginning to end. |
| Final
Words: |
A flawed
masterpiece, Ray would have been a better film if the 25 minutes
of additional footage had been integrated into this DVD in a
better fashion than it is. Nevertheless, Hackford’s passion
for music and interest in the subject along with the terrific
performances from Foxx and the rest of the cast makes this an
essential purchase for fans of Charles’ music. Although the
portrait it paints is frequently less than complimentary and
unpleasant, it also allows us to understand the passion that
drove this singular artist to help create a unique sound in
music. |
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