Ray

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Regina King, Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell, Harry J Lennix

Directed by: Taylor Hackford

RS: 4of 4 Stars

2004 Universal Pictures Drama

Just in time for awards season comes this vibrantly produced, bonus-loaded DVD of the movie that puts Jamie Foxx in line for every Best Actor prize around. Chris Rock, who will host the Academy Awards telecast on February 27th, said that no way is Foxx "going to walk out of that place without an Oscar." Foxx's turn as Ray Charles really is that good. Never mind that Foxx merely moves his lips to Brother Ray's classic vocals on hits such as "What'd I Say" and "I Got a Woman" -- the actor gets so far inside the man and his music that the two seem to breathe as one. Director Taylor Hackford dodges the usual biopic cliches in this no-bull take on the dirt-poor Southern boy, blind since age seven, who overcame racism and heroin addiction to merge gospel and blues into a music all his own. The DVD transfer is a near-perfect blend of sound and image. And the extras show how Foxx worked his ass off to step into the part. There's also a strong segment on the women of Ray, including Sharon Warren as Ray's mother, Kerry Washington as his wife and Regina King as the backup singer Ray loved and discarded. But it's the genius of soul who makes the DVD a keeper.