Reviews (98)

This Movie Iz Crazy
Im am a 14 year old and I want to talk about the Movie Menace II Society.Menace II Society is the tightest Movie I ever saw since "Boyz N The Hood" & "South Central".It all started out as a young boy name Caine (Tyrin Turner) telling a story about surviving the streets for good.My favorite Scence is When Caine & O-Dog(Larenz Tate) was in the liquor store when these two got evloved in a murder by O-Dog kill the korean grocer and also killed the korean lady while O-Dog threatens to get the video tape from her.In The Movie, They mention O-Dog as "The American's Worst Nightmare" and They also mention that O-Dog is Young, Black, And Don't Give A [care]. They also have a cool soundtrack with MC Eith(Streith Up Menace) and all other cool artists.I Recommend this movie to everyone.If U love hood movies and u have not seeen it yet, nows it the time to spend your money and buy this classic.On the internet, they also mention the "Director's Cut"(which is Unrated and the orignal verison is an R-Rated Movie).So if you Moviegooer and u have not seen that movie yet, now's the time to get that movie.One more thing,The Directors Allen & Albert Hugues(From Hell,Dead Presidents) did an good job on this movie.

True 2 Life
Okay, since im from London, i cant accuratly depict if this is, or is not the real situations encountered by members of the LA public. But upon watching this for the first time, it really hit me that the horrific things portraid in this movie could happen to anyone of us.

Caine, the main focus of the movie, was brought up in a drug filled home, his father was a drug dealer, and his mother a heroin addict. Caine first saw someone be shot when he was just a child, as shown in the films early scenes. Following this his father is murdered in a fixed drug deal, and his mother overdoses, and dies.

Caines best friend O-Dogg is a 16year old, who, as is said in the movie is 'Americas worst nightmare', hes young, Black, and he just dont giv'a F***.

I wont spoil the movie by saying anymore, but take it from me this is one of the the best movies you will see in a long time, especially if you like the whole gang thing, it also has historical content of the 'Watt's rights'. I say buy it as soon as you can.

Powerful movie
This movie is a veery powerful movie. It will give you some laughs and then youll be crying. It is very moving and it wshows you what the ghetto is really about. Growing up and surviving in the hood is very hard and this movvie shows just how hard it is.

Top 10
Menace II Society is one of my Top 10 movies of all time. I could watch it 5 times a day every day. Tyrin Turner should have become a big star after this movie. This movie had great actors, a good storyline, and production. Just wanted to say he was in Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation video as the kid walking around that place, whatever it was, for some strange reason.

After Boyz in da hood
came this, a raw powered movie, that brings to the real of the early 90's South Central LA. This movie is pretty violent and gory, but yet it has a pretty strong message in it. Do you care wether you live or die?

Tyrin Turner(Kaydee) did a excellent dabut about a man who gets cought up in a situation he wants to get out of. Larenz Tate(O-Dog) is more of a straight up gangsta, but did a real good job at acting. Movies with strong messages like this make up for a excellent drama.

If you loved boyz in the hood and don't have this, that's a real shame, even if you didn't watch bouz in da hood, you should get this, and boyz in da hood as well, because those 2 movies are wll-worth the money.

peace ... Read more

Description

Say hello to Darious Lovehall (Larenz Tate) and Nina Mosley (Nia Long), two confused lovebirds who discover that you can never underestimate the power of a love jones. ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Acting with style.............
This movie had reminded me of watching the old black and white movies with my dad. More true to life characters looking for love, being in love, and loosing it. Old story fresh view. Larenz Tate was so Cary Grant in style as the character may have been in a clumsey situation, but the actor kept him from looking silly and like a cardboard cut out.
Nia Long has always been a favorite of mine she is sweet even whe she is tough, almost like a Kathrine Hepburn.
This is one of his best work and showing that he is better than always playing an angry black man.

Great movie an great performance bye all.....BUY THIS MOVIE!!!

When Harry Met Sally: Urban Style
Love Jones is a film worth upholding. It is a beautiful love story full of realistic characters. It is one of the few black films in the last twenty years that deplicts blacks like we truly are: intelligent, cultural and just as obsessed with being in love as anyone else.

Larenz Tate plays Darius. Being an author myself I could relate fully to his character. While struggling with his upcoming book he meets Nina played by Nia Long. Nina is a photographer who's struggling just as much as he is, but her feet appear to be on the ground more firmly than Darius'. Darius and Nina begin a passionate love affair that is cut short when Darius' friends and Nina's ex get too involved. This is the perfect example of how a relationship can suffer due to too many " outside " opinions. Darius and Nina realize they cannot focus on their careers because their hearts and minds are on each other. Nina returns to the spot they first met: the sultry poetry and blues club where Darius first spied her. Nina delivers a touching poem in Darius' honor unaware that he is around. The two pick up where they left off and declare their love for one another.

This film is touching without being as mushy as some romance movies. Larenz and Nia have wonderful chemistry despite the fact that Long is five years older than Tate. The supporting characters include the wonderful Isiah Washington and MTV's Bill Bellemy. If you keep your eyes open you'll see Khalil Kain playing another delightful supporting role as Nina's ex.
I am a big Larenz Tate fan and I've liked Nia Long since her days on " Guiding Light ". The two have both grown tremendously as actors and they prove it in this film. I wish there could be a sequel. I'll keep my fingers crossed. If you haven't seen this movie you've been cheated out of one hell of a love story. It's a modern " starcrossed lovers " romance suited for all ages and professions.

O.K.
I watched this movie about four times before I could begin to like it. It's still not one of my favorites but it does showcase admirable performances by both Larenz Tate and Nia Long.

Not Bad At All
It was great to see Chicago look so beautiful in this well told love story. I hope we get more movies like Love Jones. The DVD is a wonderful edition to my collection.

great love story
i felt as fof that it has happen to me as the characters played on throughout the story. I felt i was well written and the ending was great. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Larenz Tate Proves His Star Quality Once More
I don't know what it is about this guy but Larenz Tate can mesmerize a screen. Lackluster films like " Love Jones " and " Love Come Down " would have surely fizzled out if it hadn't been for his strong screen presence. This is one actor who deserves an Oscar ( but realistically will probably never get one ). If you're a Larenz Tate fan I am sure you've already seen " Dead " a thousand times. You won't get tired of it because Larenz brings his natural freshness to the film each time.

The movie begins in the late 60's where Anthony ( Tate ) and his friends, Skip ( Chris Tucker ) and Jose are riding to school on their bus. We quickly realize there is a war going on and this gives Anthony his golden opinion, which controls the direction of the film: Anthony wants to fight for his country. Anthony seems to be the perfect citizen by his innocent face and polite quality but has done some wrong things in the past like help the ongoing pool hall hustler cash in on illegal gambling money. After Anthony declares his love for Juanita ( the delightful Rose Jackson )he's off to fight. Anthony and the audience is thrust into some realistic yet vicious war segments. Let me warn you that this film is one of the most violent I've seen in a long time. It is not for those who can't stand blood. After learning he's become a father Anthony finally returns from the war. This is where the story gets emotional. As if it wasn't bad enough Anthony was fighting for his country, he comes home to a " country " that still sees blacks as less than human. He finds a dinky job cutting meat and loses it. If that wasn't a kick in the head he finds his woman has been seeing the local mobster/pimp Cutty. Meanwhile he and Juanita are struggling to keep their relationship together with a young daughter. After a violent confrontation with Juanita, Anthony storms off and finds Juanita's sister ( the lovely N'Bushe Wright ) who guides him to the " latest " war...the ongoing revolution for the militant black brothers and sisters to reclaim what's righfully theirs. Anthony's got other plans. A plan that stems from his pals. They decide to heist a money truck and half of them ( including N'Bushe ) end up murdered to death. This scene was graphic and incredibly violent. When Anthony thinks he's gotten away with something, he ends up meeting his destiny.

Larenz Tate was wonderful in this film. I have the feeling if this had been for the " Saving Private Ryan " audience he would have won recognition, but only the black community seems to appreciate Tate and films like " Dead Presidents ". The supporting characters were believable with the exception of Chris Tucker ( who I love ) but he needs to learn how to act less like himself in his roles and more like the character. He acts the same way on everything. He seems to be hired for his real-life persona instead of his acting ability. But Chris is always entertaining. Rose Jackson was who I especially enjoyed. She was lively and strong just like Anthony's lady would have been. The direction was slow at parts but realistic. The violence was a bit much but hey...that's life. This is a truly good film and it was screwed of mainstream attention like so many other good black films. It seems to me that if you're not Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, Samuel L. Jackson or Denzel Washington, you stay in the " black " forest of the cinema industry and that's unfortunate. Because our commmunity has turned out some of the most versatile actors in the world.

Larenz Tate Kills It ! Great Film!
Dead Presidents is a well plotted drama that grabs your attention from beginning to end. Larenz Tate's killer performance definitely makes this film worth while. Honestly, i've haven't seen much Larenz Tate movies but watching this makes you more interested in his other works. I won't give you a whole plot summary of the film but "Dead Presidents" is very gory especially in the war scenes. It's basically about a young man trying to find himself fresh out of high school. HE decides to fight in Vietnam but comes back havin to care for his baby girl which causes him and his buddies to try to make some quick cold cash, robbing a federal reserve bank. Chris Tucker even brings some humor to this outstanding drama. Keep an eye out for this movie and other works by Larenz Tate. In my opinion he could be the next big thing. You'll believe me when you see it.

Great Cast....
The movies is very good, You follow a young man growing up durining Vet Nam. He enlist the Marines Corps which shows him and his high school buddie, Skippy( Chris Tucker). I like what the preacher son gets as a good luck charm.
Tates character then returns back to his home town after 3 tours in Nam to find things have change alot. My heart goes out to him , but this is were the movie even gets better. Like I said the cast adds alot to the movie, when you watch the movie you will see what I am talking about..

Good Movie
This Flim Was A 10 out of 10 in my book. great actors and screenplay.

~*~ The BaG~*~

Good Film
This film was really good. By the end of the movie, I did not condone what was done, but I understood. How many of us know people who came back after fighting for their country, and they are working jobs that suck, and living a tough life. That's pretty much the message I got from the film. I watch this movie about once a month, I like it that much. Chris Tucker had a role in this film that makes you stand up and take notice. I would love to see him in more dramas in the future. He could do the roles. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Good Movie
This is a good movie. I never even heard of Matty Rich, and was unaware of the movie altogether until stumbled across it this year. I was thoroughly impressed with the performances of Larenz Tate and Jada Pinkett Smith.

As an aspiring writer myself, I look forward to hearing a lot more from Mr. Rich in the nearing future. I thought the film was well developed, with a believable plot, and excellent development of character. I also enjoyed the fact that the character in which Mr. Tate was sheltered about a lot of things that in today's society is considered the norm for some minorities. I appreciated that because in a society of where today's youth are so bombarded with so many different things, and it is progressively getting worse as of this writing, it is good to have African Americans portrayed in roles that are less than the norm.

I applaud Mr.Rich for his creativity and for gleaning on events that somehow magnificently pulled this incredible movie together.

Summer of '76
The comparisions to "Summer of '42" are inevitable. But aside from the coming of age story of both films, they are completely different. The "Inkwell" is essentially a Shaggy Dog tale that flows nicely from beginning to end. Give credit for Matty Rich's abililty to create an authentic '70's atmoshphere with the use of very little of that era's well known music ("Dancing Machine" and "Let's Get It On" are the only two). ...

What Hostile Reviews!
How often dow we see movies about a teenage brother's coming of age that aren't violent or gang-related? Matty Rich(whatever he's doing now) did a superb job directing this film about an awkward teen vacationing with his parents in Martha's Vineyard visiting his well-to-do relatives.
He falls for the snot-nose Lauren who uses him to get back at her boyfriend who dropped her. Meanwhile he is also looking out for a married woman whose husband is cheating on her with other women.
It's a movie about growing up and what it means to be a person. Do all black movies have to be based on gang warfare and lewed sexual conduct?

I liked it
This was an interesting little flick about a troubled teen who escapes with his feuding parents to Martha's vineyard for a
mini-vacation after he nearly burns down the house. "The Inkwell" is the Black section of Martha's Vineyard. Set in the '70s,
this is a retro film that evokes a real sense of the period.

Granted, this movie does have its weak points, but I thought the overall product was not bad. Larenz Tate has proven himself
to be a chameleon morphing from a psychopath killer in "Menace to Society" to this odd character and then later becomes a
suave wordsmith in 1997's "Love Jones." He does well in this coming-of-age flick that explores a little shown facet of black life -- the upper middle class. Though the relatives who owned the house on the Vineyard seemed a little pretentious at first (Glynn Turman and Vanessa Bell Calloway), we see that they honestly love their family. Even the brother-in-laws with the conflicting political views (Republican Vs Black Panther) manage to make peace with each other in the end.

Drew (Larenz Tate) really was a weird character, but at least the role was a departure from the black male stereotype of the
cool thug. At least Matty Rich was not afraid to take a chance here with a different type of lead character. Jada Pinkett was
very good here as the spoiled rich girl who wraps the poor, socially-inept Drew around her little finger. And although his role was minor, Morris Chestnut was a convincing (and foine!) philanderer.

My one major complaint is with the mother daughter conflict. Although the two make up in the end, you never really knew what
they were beefing about. That could have been fleshed out a little more, but I liked that this movie was about a family trying to reconnect with each other. And I also liked that the characters were not total stereotypes. If only more Black filmmakers would take risks instead of giving us the same tired story again and again.

Not bad period flavor, but YECHHH!
Being that I was 12 during the Summer of 1976 when this film took place, I'll agree that they got some of the period flavor of the era correct (outrageously fake afros aside), but this movie stinks to high heaven as a whole. Not only for the atrocious acting and meandering story, but for the ending with the father (Glynn Turman)congratulating his young teenaged son for bedding down a GROWN MARRIED WOMAN!? What kind of MESS is that to show in this day and age? This one needs to be outta here like "London After Midnight!" ... Read more

Description

Music-based romantic drama about the late singer/songwriter Frankie Lymon, who was responsible for many hit records but whose self-destructive life ended early, with many relationships left unresolved. three women, each claiming to be his wife, each with ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Entertaining delight!
The filmmakers know you've heard this tale before - true life chronicle of a young singing star's rise and tragic fall - and so they wisely downplay the standard bio trappings and instead focus on a raucously entertaining ride through Frankie Lymon's woman troubles. The smart screenplay revolves around the court battle of Lymon's three wives (yes, three!) over song royalties, leading to vivid (and often humorously contradictory) flashbacks of their lives with the singer. Larenz Tate is magnetic playing the many different sides of the ever-changing lead character, but the film ultimately belongs to Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox and Lela Rochon as the wives. Each is allowed to shine as the trio portrays 30 years of changes in the women's lives, with Fox drop-dead hilarious as the most outrageous of the three. There's beautifully detailed '60s-era cinematography, sets, costuming and musical numbers, plus a side-splitting turn by Miguel Nunez as a young Little Richard. Major issues (such as '60s race relations) are barely glanced at, but what this film lacks in depth, it makes up for ten-fold in entertainment value. A winner!

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I may be in the minority, because...
I really didn't care for this movie very much. It told you virtually nothing about young Frankie Lymon's career with the Teenagers, and the focus was on his three wives fighting over whom was most entitled to the small fortune he left behind when he died at age 26 of a heroin overdose in 1968. Instead of a true biography of this young man's tragic story, we got this.

"Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" never really gives you the reason why Lymon (played by the talented actor Larenz Tate) was so very important in the history of R&B/rock and roll. Ignoring the fact that he was the first teenaged idol of rock and roll (like the little Michael Jackson of his era) and was an influence on other groups that would come after his, in this film Frankie was overwhelmingly portrayed as nothing more than some '50s rock music has-been who was a bigamist and a drug addict. On top of that, the three actresses who played his wives (Halle Berry, Lela Rochon, Vivica A. Fox) got more screen time than Larenz Tate did, and was billed over him. Excuse me, but wasn't this film supposed to be Frankie's story? I was not interested in seeing a movie about his wives.

Tate did his best, and I had no problem with the rest of the cast...but the script was just not worthy of his talents. I gave it three stars for the musical performances, but I feel the definitive movie about Frankie's life has yet to be made.

Love is Blind and So Are the Women!
The title fits the movie's subject because these women were foolish to falll in love with him. Despite his early career in music and rise to fame, he was on a path to destruction, which he could have controlled. Frankie Lymon, lead singer for the group Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, had the voice that made girls across America scream. But watching the movie, he was also selfish because he used his own members, who were also his friends to pursue a solo career; which was never achieved. He married Zora Taylor, a member of The Platters, Elizabeth Waters, and Emira Eagle; none of whom he divorced.
The movie got me to wonder if any of these women could see below the surface of this man. Why did they allow him to descend into drugs and self-loathing? If one really loves someone, they would either help them through or send them packing. It was obvious that he had them on a string. All three of them had to go to court to prove they were legally married to him and collect money from his estate. Unfortunately, the music industry wasn't as legally together as it is now. Therefore, any claim to what he sang is out of their reach.
Lymon's music still lives on as a reminder of the "good old days" when music wasn't sexually explicit and musicians could actually sing.

Frankie Lymon for Beginners
I never knew much about Frankie Lymon until I watched this movie. He was one of my father's favorites. This movie, while it did not cover everything and sometimes it was historically inaccurate, it gave a good review of Frankie's rise and fall as a doo-wop star. The acting by Halle Berry, Lorenz Tate, Vivica Fox, and Leah Rochon was superb!

Fools in Love-Great Acting
Didn't know much about Frankie, except that he was a bigamist. The acting is great! It is worth having in your library. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Falling from the Oscar-winning glory of Dances with Wolves to the opposite end of the critical and box-office scale, Kevin Costner must have been deeply humbled when this three-hour postapocalyptic tale--his sophomore effort as a director--was greeted with a critical thrashing and tepid audience response. One of the most conspicuous flops of its decade, the 1997 release must have seemed like a sure thing on paper: a kind of futurist Western starring Costner as a charismatic drifter-turned-hero who leads the resistance against a military tyrant (Will Patton) by reviving the long-dormant postal system to reunite isolated communities in their fight for freedom. The movie bombed, but, like many audacious failures, it's got qualities that make it at least partially endearing, and its earnestness (although bordering on corny) keeps it from being entirely silly. Faint praise, perhaps, but Costner's ode to patriotism is occasionally stirring and visually impressive. The dual-layered, widescreen DVD includes a documentary segment about the creation of the film's special effects sequences, featuring a running commentary by the special effects creators. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (197)

Dances with post-apocalyptic bandits
I finally caught this movie on cable television last night and described it to my husband as a science-fiction version of "Dances with Wolves." Interestingly, it was being shown as part of a week of Westerns, and basically that is what it is also. It's very long, just like Dances with Wolves, Waterworld and every book that David Brin (with whom I am acquainted) has ever written. So, if you enjoy long books and long movies, you're in luck. The movie is no classic, but it is nevertheless enjoyable and entertaining. Costner's acting is OK, Will Patton is a standard-evil-genius-villain-type, and Larenz Tate shines as Costner's sidekick. I think the premise is a worthy one, and even a believable one (if you find post-apocalypse believable to start with). The U.S. Postal Service is the one federal agency that everyone uses, that most appreciate (though they do gripe about it) and that was (I think) the first one founded. It has a simple, vital, helpful mission: to bind society together through communication. Therefore, it likely would be the first one restored, and Brin and Costner illuminate this premise capably.

POST-"apocolyptic"-MAN
It is difficult to review a film that you like, when every professional critic has slammed it. On the other hand, I have to believe I am not alone in my tastes, so, here is some praise for "The Postman", Kevin Costner's cinematic version of the great book of the same name, written by David Brin.

After the success of "Dances With Wolves", it's pretty clear that Costner has been trying to recapture that epic feeling. But where "Water World" was silly to the point of being a caricature of a sweeping drama, "The Postman" avoids the trap. The nemesis, General Bethlehem is played seriously by Will Patton and the situation in general is believable if not completely explained.

I admit there were a few moments that were too heavy handed, the most memorable when the Postman gallops back to snatch a letter from a boy's hand. Even so, I can forgive a little over enthusiasm when it is mixed with a stirring tale. I know that during times of war, rhetoric is grist for the mill and so, the character's obsession with the American way, is understandable, given that it no longer exists.

You see, civilisation has fallen. It's implied that nuclear weapons were used, perhaps even biological weapons. Whatever the cause, people survive precariously, huddled together in fortified towns dreading the next visit of the Holenist army. A band of thugs created during the last days of the war and now led by General Bethlehem towards some nebulous vision, who's only constant is that Bethlehem will be the one in power.

Enter stage left, an unlikely hero. Kevin Costner's character may have a name but it is not revealed during the film. At first he is known as Shakespeare because he is a wandering loner who is sometimes driven to produce one man, one mule, productions of the Bard in the hopes of winning a meal from his audience. His aimless existence is abruptly ended when he is roughly drafted into the Holenist army.

From the first he stands out from the crowd of beaten hopeless recruits and so is singled out for special torments and duties. The army life is brutal enough without having earned the enmity of your squad leader. One thing leads to another and escape presents itself for Shakespeare. Without food or any other protection he stumbles on the remains of an old mail van and spends a night huddled in its dubious warmth, kept company by the body of a US Postal worker.

Whether by chance, destiny or foresight, he dons the guise of a postman and scams his way into a local town. "The mailman's here. Lock up your dogs." So long starved of civilisation, the bedraggled townsmen clamour for news of the world, the government, the future. He has little choice but to answer their questions, with creative and plausible fictions. It is here that the wheels of fate start turning.

The idea he has created, of a new America, is too big for one man to control. The film takes us on a steamroller ride headed straight towards the Holenist army. People with hope demand action. The desire for action creates leaders. Leaders are often forced to carry out the will of the people despite a lack of talent, desire or knowledge.

In this case, a young man, self named Ford Lincoln Mercury, forces the Postman to become a symbol of civilisation and eventually the symbol of resistance. Ford's passion and his actions are resisted for a long time but eventually the Postman comes to share the myth. One man can stand up to tyranny, especially with the help of a few courageous friends and the trust of one strong willed woman.

Love this movie
Simply put, It should have won an oscar. Once you get past the slow start (which is necessary to explain the rest of the movie) it becomes so moving. Reminds me of the Pony Express...and our American determination to be free. Even more moving since 911.

Makes no sense
This movie made no sense to me. It seems like Costner tried to make a modern western and failed miserably. There are very few redeeming factors in this movie. I understand the concept behind it, but thought it was developed poorly. You can defenitly skip this movie and not worry too much about it.

Wow
I've always seen postmen as the unsung heroes of middle America. Finaly, a movie that pays the kinda respect that postal employees deserve. Costner does another wonderful performance in this future classic. Almost as good as waterworld! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jamie Foxx's uncannily accurate performance isn't the only good thing about Ray. Riding high on a wave of Oscar buzz, Foxx proved himself worthy of all the hype by portraying blind R&B legend Ray Charles in a warts-and-all performance that Charles approved shortly before his death in June 2004. Despite a few dramatic embellishments of actual incidents (such as the suggestion that the accidental drowning of Charles's younger brother caused all the inner demons that Charles would battle into adulthood), the film does a remarkable job of summarizing Charles's strengths as a musical innovator and his weaknesses as a philandering heroin addict who recorded some of his best songs while flying high as a kite. Foxx seems to be channeling Charles himself, and as he did with the life of Ritchie Valens in La Bamba, director Taylor Hackford gets most of the period details absolutely right as he chronicles Ray's rise from "chitlin circuit" performer in the early '50s to his much-deserved elevation to legendary status as one of the all-time great musicians. Foxx expertly lip-syncs to Ray Charles' classic recordings, but you could swear he's the real deal in a film that honors Ray Charles without sanitizing his once-messy life. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (276)

Great Job by Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx gives a five star, award-winning, performance of a lifetime in this movie filled with drama, romance, humor, drugs, triumph, and quality music. Showing the trials and tribulation of one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century it follows Ray Charles Robinson from the start of his career as he deals with such various obstacles as blindness, racism, his brother's death as a child, and heroin addiction. This film is well rounded with numerous familiar faces but one unknown face deserves just as much recognition as Foxx. This person is Sharon Warren who portrays Ray's strong willed mother who makes his learn to stand up for him self despite his handicap and not to let anyone keep him from what he wants in life. While not being the most glamorous portrayal of a legend it show how strong and utterly amazing the man really was. Laced with the actual music of and by Ray Charles you get the feeling you are really watching the man himself. Highly recommended.

Excellent film...one of the best of 2004
Genre: Bio-Pic Drama/Musical

Genre Grade: A+

Final Grade: A

This was an excellent movie. It was much more serious-toned than I thought it would be, giving a strong glimpse into adultery and drug addiction and also gives a horrific glimpse into Ray's childhood. The movie is also uplifting with the story of Ray finding his own sound, and just all the music in general. Definitely worth seeing (and worth sitting nearly three hours for), and although the conclusion of the movie feels very rushed and unexpected, it has such a strong body and introduction that make it worth it. Jaime Foxx was amazing in it, and I've got my bets on him for taking home the Oscar next year. There were seriously a couple of moments in the movie where it almost seemed like they inserted some old footage with the real Ray Charles in it because he stepped into the role so well. Great movie, see it!

Sheesh...big deal!
Oh please!Enough with all these accolade about Jamie Foxx's performance.All I saw was an IMPERSONATION.He wasnt multidimensional and I didnt see CHARACTER.Acting like Ray Charles is not enough,he should have lived it through the movie.Im not pretending to be an acting expert here (because im not) but Jamie Foxx doesnt deserve all these compliments,seriously.
About the movie,its actually more fitting for HBO but what's good about this movie is that they didnt force the audience to think that Ray Charles was this noble being,unlike other biopics,which portrays the famous characters as if theyre saints.There are lots of holes in the movie and it focused on his music and his womanizing and we can get a glimpse of his childhood with a subplot of him being banned to play in his hometown,other than that,theres nothing else.You should buy this if youre a big fan.But if you just like the music,just rent it.

Superlative Performances Elevate Solid, Episodic Biopic
At this point, it seems superfluous to say Jamie Foxx gives a brilliant, surprisingly nuanced performance as Ray Charles, as he not only mimics the singer's mannerisms flawlessly but also provides texture and depth to the pained man underneath. It's startling to see Foxx perform at the piano in that idiosyncratic spasmodic style that Charles had, as the actor very often becomes indistinguishable from the legend. In the private moments also depicted here, Foxx is amazingly perceptive about the troubled, hard-shelled, often nasty man Charles apparently was in real life. Hardly the image one remembers from the Pepsi commercials or his other frequent, sometimes ridiculous TV appearances...anyone remember he was in several episodes of "The Nanny"?

But the movie is not about the deconstruction of Ray Charles. In fact, director/writer Taylor Hackford and co-writer James L. White have written a literate, often powerful screenplay that makes us understand the complexity behind Charles' genius and the reasons for his inner demons. The challenge is that in order to remain true to his life story, Hackford and White have overstuffed the movie with so many milestone moments that it becomes episodic and sometimes rather wearing, especially when it comes to the film's depiction of Charles' two-decade heroin addiction. The sight of Charles shooting up and denying his addiction becomes almost a repetitive plot device, as if to provide melodramatic filler between the triumphant moments when he conquers musical frontiers that initially meet with resistance. That's not to say there aren't strong, compelling moments, as there are many. Ironically, one of the most memorable has nothing to do with Foxx but depicts a moment in Charles' hardscrabble Georgia childhood when little Ray trips over a chair and screams for his mother. Wordlessly, he picks himself up and becomes attuned to the sounds around him, picking up a cricket and realizing his mother is right in front of him. It's a transcendent moment.

Hackford is not the most subtle of filmmakers (he made the over-the-top "The Devil's Advocate" among others), and unfortunately his exaggerated sense of melodrama creeps in now and then, in particular, the last section when he decides to go for a 1960's movie-style approach to drug rehabilitation and inserts a fantasy scene back to Charles' childhood that provides pat closure to his long-standing issues.It's an oddly surreal Hollywood-style scene that I feel betrays the honesty of what was presented before. But sometimes Hackford's excessiveness works in his favor, as in the supposedly improvised way that classics like "What'd I Say?" and "Hit the Road, Jack" were composed. I also think he does an effective job in making racism an inherent part of the story, not just a pointed plot device, specifically in showing how much of the manipulation Charles experienced in his career was not at the hands of white promoters. The movie also highlights Charles' decision not to play an unsegregated venue in Georgia and revisits that decision in a coda that takes place years later.

Beyond Foxx, there is a gallery of superlative performances, especially by a trio of fine actresses. Kerry Washington is superb as Charles' wife Della Bea providing strength and tolerance in the face of her husband's drug addiction and constant adultery.Regina King plays backup singer Margie Hendricks, Charles' on-the-road mistress, with her requisite sass but with a penetrating desperation. Best of all is Sharon Warren, who portrays Charles' proud mother Aretha in flashbacks that make you understand where Charles got his courage and unbridled fury. Also providing excellent support are C.J. Sanders as the young Ray, who witnesses his young brother's accidental drowning and faces his impending blindness, and Clifton Powell as Charles' right-hand man Jeff Brown. The more well-known figures are played gamely though less memorably by Larenz Tate as an ambitious, very young Quincy Jones; Curtis Armstrong as an overly measured Ahmet Ertegun; and Richard Schiff as an anxious Jerry Wexler. At 153 minutes, the movie is rather long, and because of its episodic nature, stops rather abruptly in 1966 when Charles' personal and private lives seem to gain equilibrium. Regardless, the wondrous Foxx elevates this film biopic into something quite extraordinary.

The two-disc DVD package has several extras worth noting. On the first disc, the chief addition is fourteen scenes deleted in the theatrical version that have been spliced into the version here and notated accordingly. Some provide interesting context to the story, though they sometimes slow the pacing, a problem coupled by the addition of dead pauses that hurt the overall quality of the viewing experience. All told, the extended version clocks in at a staggering 178 minutes. Taylor Hackford's commentary on the alternate audio track is informative but on the perfunctory side (I only wish Foxx could have added his perspective and can only dream what Charles could have contributed had he lived long enough to "see" the film's release.) On the second disc, those fourteen deleted scenes show up individually, and there are also three featurettes. The first is the obligatory making-of short, "A Look Inside Ray", which includes comments by the filmmakers and actors on making the film.The next short, "Walking in His Shoes", is about the meeting between Foxx and Charles before his death and discusses how Foxx got under the skin of the character. The last, "Ray Remembered", is a quick tribute to the spirit of Charles by those who loved and admired him.

The Road Leads Back To You
Most of us under sixty think of Ray Charles as a perpetually smiling, swaying, grayed old man wearing sunglasses, glued to the piano bench who mumbles out "Georgia."What most do not realize is that Ray Charles had been performing since the 1940's until his death in 2004.This film shows Ray as a vibrant young man and opens our eyes to a whole new world that many have never known, a world that includes segregation and the civil rights movement.The movie spans from Ray's childhood up until around 1963.Considering that Ray's career went on for forty years AFTER that is astounding.

Ray Charles was born in Albany, Georgia, in 1930.Growing up in poverty in Florida during the Great Depression, he lost his little brother in a tragic accident that would haunt him the rest of his life.Around age seven, he went blind from glaucoma.Ray honed his knack for music at the state school for the blind and deaf.

Although a true genius and pioneer of jazz, R&B, and even country western, Ray (Jamie Foxx) was not a perfect human being by any means.Ray had learned to be fiercely independent from his fiery and dedicated mother Aretha (Sharon Warren), who died when he was fifteen.Yet he was dependent on a couple of demons - women and heroin.These addictions had tragic consequences.The fact that Bea, his long-suffering wife (Regina King), stood by him all those years is an example of the kind of chemistry and love this man inspired.

The movie reminds me so much of The Temptations (1998) as far as how the plot unfolds, that I would have given "Ray" four stars if it were not for Foxx's and Warren's performances.Foxx won Best Male Leading Actor for his sublime performance of a legend and an icon.Sharon Warren was so intense as Ray's mother.With her visible biceps on a fragile frame, she embodied the plight of all African Americans during Jim Crow.I want to see Warren again in a film.She is absolutely amazing.

The movie has sexuality and drug use, but nothing too graphic.There is no bad language.All of the songs in the film are Ray's original recordings, lip-synched very well by Foxx and the backup girls.When I heard that the songs would be lip-synched, I did not think I would enjoy it, but it works very well and was very entertaining.

The DVD has commentary by the director, and short readable bios of just about all the main and supporting actors in the film.It is a little annoying to have to read the white font and keep scrolling endlessly through each bio.

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Reviews (11)

Big Deborah Fan
Misunderstood... your not crazy. I loved that movie, it was well worth my time, I'm getting ready to watch it again. I guess others just missed the point....but you HAVE to watch from beginning to end to understand the movie, but it's worth it.

Misunderstood
This is actually one of my favorite movies and either people are missing the point or i'm just weird but i love it. The movies switches from scene to scene in what seems like random order but after awhile you can organize it into larenz's life and his struggle with drugs, the present story line, and their family's past. I feel like it's an excellent film and very underrated.

Not as good as I thought
Well I saw this movie and I really didn't like it too much. It was just too much and just too little in it. Would I ever watch this again, NO!

A waste of valuable time!!!
I am a huge fan of Mr. Tate and Ms. Cox, but what in the world were they thinking? I heard from a friend that this was a pretty decent movie so I ran to the video store like a mad woman to rent it. I should have known better, it took me three tries before I could confine myself to a chair to watch it. The acting was not bad and certainly not great. The plot was dry and what in the world was the point? I had a better time watching Blair Witch. Don't waste your hard earned money and your precious time left on earth with this one.

It was pretty good
Larenz Tate was the executive producer of Love Come Down. At first I wasn't interested in seeing the film when it first came out but then I thought it might be good later on. It didn't bore me and it kept my attention. Overall, it was a good movie. ... Read more