Wednesday, February 16, 2005
A Ray Of Light 8/10
Damn, Jamie Foxx eerily looks like Ray Charles! I watched "Ray" over the weekend. Admitedly, I have never listened to Ray Charles, and knew about him passingly ... And so, I approached Ray with an open mind.
Now part of my liking of the movie is the fact that I love the blues. It's something I keep deep down inside ... underneath Eminem, The Chemical Brothers, Metallica, and Rammstein ... underneath Joe Satriani, Led Zep, The Beatles and Sabbath ... it's like this core that all my musical tastes are built on. Admitedly, the first time I listened to "pure" blues was in my 3rd year of undergrad, when I heard some Muddy Waters tracks ... and I was referred to that after tripping on Zep.
Anyway, back to the movie. I loved the music! I enjoyed Jamie Foxx's acting (definitely Oscar material) ... but thought the script was a little light. It skimped over details of Ray's early life, jumping from one incident to another ... quantum leaps, rather than continuums! I would have liked to have seen more about how Ray's drug problems affected his music (did it enhance his productivity? There was just one scene where they show him breaking down), and how he brought up his son.
Don't get me wrong, this movie is a must-see, but it left me wanting more!
Now I gotta find a good "Best Of ..." collection!
Now part of my liking of the movie is the fact that I love the blues. It's something I keep deep down inside ... underneath Eminem, The Chemical Brothers, Metallica, and Rammstein ... underneath Joe Satriani, Led Zep, The Beatles and Sabbath ... it's like this core that all my musical tastes are built on. Admitedly, the first time I listened to "pure" blues was in my 3rd year of undergrad, when I heard some Muddy Waters tracks ... and I was referred to that after tripping on Zep.
Anyway, back to the movie. I loved the music! I enjoyed Jamie Foxx's acting (definitely Oscar material) ... but thought the script was a little light. It skimped over details of Ray's early life, jumping from one incident to another ... quantum leaps, rather than continuums! I would have liked to have seen more about how Ray's drug problems affected his music (did it enhance his productivity? There was just one scene where they show him breaking down), and how he brought up his son.
Don't get me wrong, this movie is a must-see, but it left me wanting more!
Now I gotta find a good "Best Of ..." collection!
