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The best biopics are the ones that explore the person’s personality and RAY is at its best when it does just that. The film chronicles the rise to stardom of soul music inventor Ray Charles up until he goes into rehab to kick a heroine habit. The accomplishments of the man are amazing from combining gospel and R&B to gaining the right to own the masters of his songs to helping break down Jim Crow laws in the South.

The legendary singer is brought to startling life by Jamie Foxx (COLLATERAL). The actor deserves all the praise he has been getting for a performance that borders on channeling. He by far deserves the Oscar. But adding to the films distinguished performances are the many women in Charles’ life. Sharon Warren, in her film debut, brings raw emotion to the role of Charles’ mother, Aretha Robinson. Kerry Washington (SAVE THE LAST DANCE) brings emotional complexity to the role of Charles’ wife, Della Bea. Regina King (JERRY MAGUIRE) has never been better as Charles’ Raylette back-up singer and drug-addicted lover, Margie Hendricks.

Charles insisted that any film about him should contain warts and all. The film shows how Charles’ guilt regarding the death of his younger brother, George (Terrone Bell, film debut), plus the loneliness that his blindness often caused him led to a long addiction to drugs, which created riffs with his family. The film is also fairly blunt about Charles’ business sense, which was ahead of its time and often cold. Charles’ all business attitude even breaks up his friendship with longtime manager Jeff Powell (Clifton Powell, RUSH HOUR) when the opportunist Joe Adams (Harry Lennix, MATRIX sequels) weasels himself into Ray’s career. I loved how the film showed how Charles learned to find ways around his blindness through experience.

The film is a powerful drama mainly driven by amazing performances. It only missteps a bit with a reliance on moving from one hit song to the next toward the end and a dream sequence with a seeing adult Charles. Otherwise the film works wonderfully. I’m excited to get the DVD and see the extended addition to see what was left out of the 2 1/2 hour theatrical cut. I would have picked a few other films over this one for a best picture nomination, but the Academy has done a lot worse than this film in the past. Though not perfect, the film is still one of the best of 2004.