The Film
Taylor Hackford is a director you may not know by name alone, but it's a safe bet you've seen and enjoyed at least a few of this versatile filmmaker's creative achievements. I'll say this much: the man has a knack for extracting surprisingly strong performances from typecast actors playing against type. In The Devil's Advocate (an underrated gem), Hackford showed us there's more to Keanu than good looks and the occasional "Whoa." With the equally underrated Proof of Life, he gave us a Meg Ryan who wasn't just "sleepless," but fearless too. And at last we come to Ray. Not only was Hackford's 2004 Ray Charles biopic nominated for Best Picture, it also turned the star of Bait and Booty Call into "Academy Award Winner Jamie Foxx."
In Ray, Jamie Foxx stars as music legend Ray Charles Robinson, the blind piano-playing genius who would eventually become known the world over as Ray Charles. Hackford's masterful film chronicles the life and music career of Charles, from his poor start in the economically-depressed South, to his chart-topping heyday as the music superstar who gave us hits such as "Georgia on My Mind" and "Hit the Road Jack," to name but a few. Along the way, Hackford gives equal credence to the sex, drugs, and rock and roll and overall the film's Best Picture nomination is well deserved.
For another take on Ray, check out Joe Lozito's review.
The Picture
Universal has had a hit or miss run when bringing their catalog classics to high definition Blu-ray. For every strong release such as Carlito's Way, Psycho, or Back to the Future, we've seen uneven disappointments such as Spartacus, Tremors, and Flash Gordon. (We can debate my use of the term "classics" later.) Thankfully, Ray stands decisively in the hit column, thanks in part to its sumptuous 1080p video.
As a film, Ray's muted color palette is often bathed in dusty browns and yellows, instantly transporting the viewer to a different place and time. Detail is exceptional, with every pore of Foxx's face on clear display during his many close-ups. Black levels are superb, with inky deep blacks concealing night club corners and solid shadow delineation refining darker areas of the picture. A pleasant layer of film grain is clearly visible throughout the film, a welcome indicator that engineers resisted the urge to scrub away Ray's cinematic veneer.
The Sound
Universal presents Ray using a lossless 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack and the results are impressive to say the least. Dialogue is crisp and intelligible throughout and the film's many stage performances sound better here than on any Ray Charles CD I've heard to date. Helping matters is the superb surround effects during said performances, with crowd noise fully surrounding the listener and each instrument precisely located in the sound field. Bass is deep when called for, and the film exhibits wonderful dynamic range over the course of its 2.5 hour run time. There's really little to complain about with this one - Ray sounds utterly fantastic on Blu-ray.
The Extras
Unlike Universal's New Release titles, which often see a Blu-ray Disc accompanied by a bonus DVD and Digital Copy, Ray is a lower-priced catalog release and that means you get the Blu-ray and only the Blu-ray. In this case though, that's just fine - the film looks and sounds so good on Blu, I can't imagine wanting to watch the film on any other medium.
As for bonus material, Universal more than makes up for the DVD and Digital Copy omissions by giving us a healthy mix of engaging extras. In addition to the previously-available DVD extras, which include an introduction by Taylor Hackford, deleted scenes, and uncut musical performances from the film, we also get a pair of Blu-ray exclusives. One is "The Music of Ray" which allows you to identify songs and buy them on iTunes, but more exciting is "Scene Companion" which is a well-executed PiP-style viewing mode which provides behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, and other information while the film plays.
Final Thoughts
Taylor Hackford is an extremely capable director, and while Devil's Advocate may be my personal favorite of his works, Ray easily ranks as a close second. Fortunately, a sterling technical presentation coupled with its healthy assortment of bonus material makes Universal's Blu Ray an easy recommendation.
Product Details
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