I Just saw the movie last night and I was not the least bit impressed with the acting of Jamie Foxx. Not even a little. What more can I say?
His line delivery was poor at best. I’ll give him credit for maintaining a squint for minutes at a time, and for some of the quirky head and body movements of Ray Charles, but that’s it. I would have not voted him actor of the year or whatever award he won recently for his role in the film.
I left the movie feeling like it was incomplete, acting-wise and story-wise. Probably cause it was.
I enjoyed the music and the could put up with the hard to follow story line, but was not at all impressed with Foxx’s acting.
Any one else on my ship or am I on a raft in the middle of the ocean?
I totally agree. It didn’t resemble Ray Charles as much as a “Saturday Night Live” parody of Ray Charles. It was overacted, and frankly insulting to Mr. Charles moreso than it was a respectful tribute.
I don’t know the mannerisms of the real Ray Charles, so I can’t judge Foxx’s performance that way; however, I will say that, except for one scene (I’ll get to that in a second) I never felt like I was watching an actor. He seemed very fluid and natural…
…which only made the scene in which he
goes back to his childhood as an adult, WITH his sight
more awkward. Then I knew I was watching Jamie Foxx and not a “real” person.
Once we get enough people on the “We LOVED Jamie Foxxx in RAY” ship, I’m going to vote we load the cannons, point it at your raft and put ye miserable swabs out of your tasteless misery.
Bah! You only like him because he happens to *look[i/] like Ray Charles somewhat. Right?
Did you really think he did that great a job acting? Please tell me why.
I wish I could blame bad acting on the reason the movie was a let down. But instead I blame Ray Charles. I’ve always loved his music, and thought he seemed like he would be a nice guy. What a self-absorbed asshole!
Which reminds me of something I thought while watching the movie. I’m thinking Ray might’ve been slightly autistic. That would explain his quick learning of the piano, and the ability to use his hearing without being taught. And of course his lack of regard for the feelings of others.
His eyelids were glued shut behind the dark glasses. He was, in fact, entirely — if temporarily — blind while he was playing the role.
Me, I hated the film, while respecting his performance. Maybe his acting looked good by comparison to the paint-by-numbers formula bioschlock it was in service to, but I thought he was the only worthwhile thing about the movie.
I like the performance, but it wasn’t even up to the paint-by-numbers standard. He was on a steadily rising arc. He got busted once, and the suits got him off. Yeah, he went to rehab, did five minutes of cold turkey (or so it seems) and never backslid. Besides that, every decision he made was golden, and he outsmarted all the suits (who were quick to love him even more for it.) Hell, his wife never left him, and wives always leave in this kind of movie.
I don’t know how accurate it was, but it made me long for the old make up the facts for the story biopics.
I thought he was great, because he became the character. I agree that the movie could have been better – that’s why it didn’t win an award for best picture or director. Especially the end – the 5 minutes of rehab, and the one-liner that covered the final 20 years of his career.
He delivered so many of his lines as unemotional ‘sentances’. I don’t even know the name for the type of delivery that is, but I doubt seriously, that that was even close to the way the real Ray talked/acted.
Like I said, he had his mannerisms nailed but the acting part was off.
I thought the actual movie was unremarkable, very Lifetime network. But Foxx blew me away. Even if his performance amounted to little more than mimicry, well, he did a damn fine job, and I can’t imagine anyone else doing any better with the material provided. Ultimately, it’s the writing or even the cinematography I’d find faut with, not Foxx’s performance.