4K UHD Review: Ray

A film that took fifteen years to make, Taylor Hackford’s Ray chronicles the life and work of musical icon Ray Charles. Starring Jamie Foxx in the title role (who deservedly won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance), the film begins with a young Ray Charles traveling to Seattle to perform at a club. Rising from his dirt-poor Georgia origins, Ray becomes a multi-genre music superstar. His life was a complex one. Even as he became one of the great musical geniuses of the twentieth century, Ray struggled with drug addiction repressed guilt over the death of his younger brother.

Jamie Foxx disappears into the role of Ray Charles and manages to blend his complexities and charisma into one cohesive whole—his impoverished childhood, his private life at home, his life on the road, and Ray’s delusional belief he can keep them all separate. The screenplay by James L. White goes back-and-forth between these phases, but it’s some dazzling musical set pieces that brings the film together. We watch Charles’ rise to stardom in the 1950’s and 1960’s, blending gospel and R&B to create his own unique sound.

Although Foxx is lip syncing the music throughout the film, he does an excellent job at it—and he is playing the piano himself—recreating the performances that helped Ray Charles become a legend. While Foxx is central to the film’s success, he is surrounded by a strong supporting cast. Sharon Warren is a standout as Ray’s mother Aretha. Realizing that her blind son isn’t going to have a lot of options available to him, she teaches Ray—through tough love and discipline—how to rely on himself; Curtis Armstrong as Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records, who discovered Ray; Kerry Washington as Ray’s wife long suffering wife Della; Regina King and Aunjanue Ellis as Margie Hendricks and Mary Anne Fisher respectively, as backup singers Ray has affairs with.

At 152 minutes, Ray probably could have lost 25 minutes and been a little less repetitive. It’s also worth noting that in real life, Ray blamed only himself for his drug use (he spoke about it in countless interviews) but Taylor Hackford chose to blame the death of his brother for Ray’s heroin use. While the death of his brother was no doubt painful, to attach it to something Ray himself said wasn’t true, seems strange.

That aside, Jamie Foxx deservedly won an Oscar for his work here, even if Ray does occasionally fall victim to the traps of a standard biopic. As a fan of both Ray Charles and Jamie Foxx, I’ve been hoping for a 4K release of Ray for years. Approved by Taylor Hackford. I’m thrilled that Kino Lorber Studio Classics recent 4K release is excellent.

A brand new master, created from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative, the film is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, with Dolby Vision HDR applied (The included Blu-ray also contains the restored film.) Pawel Edelman’s cinematography shines, bringing life to the various time periods, some of the filters used cause a slightly dull look on occasion. Otherwise, the overall look is vibrant. Details are strong throughout—the clothing worn by Ray Charles, his band, and backup singers offer appropriate texture and sparkle. Grain is appropriate, giving the proceedings a filmic look. The image is free of any scratches or other anomalies.

The DTS-HD MA soundtrack does a good job of highlighting the performances in this heavy musical film. Ray Charles tunes are given plenty of oomph, and the surrounds are given a good workout. Dialogue is clean, clear and concise throughout. there is no distortion or other audio anomalies apparent.

English SDH subtitles are available.

The following extras are included:

DISC 1 (4KUHD):

• NEW!! Audio Commentary by Film Historian and Author Dwayne Epstein
• Audio Commentary by Director Taylor Hackford

DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):

• NEW!! Audio Commentary by Film Historian and Author Dwayne Epstein
• Audio Commentary by Director Taylor Hackford
• Director’s Introduction (1:34)
• Stepping Into the Part: Featurette (10:40)
• Ray Remembered: Featurette (4:03)
• The Women of Ray: Featurette (9:55)
• The Filmmakers’ Journey: Featurette (9:22)
• Ray: An American Story: Featurette (28:47)
• A Look Inside Ray: Featurette (3:20)
• 14 Deleted Scenes (with Optional Director’s Commentary) (27:36)
• 9 Uncut Music Performances (25:33)
• Theatrical Trailer (2:48)