Ray

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There haven’t been too many biographical films (or “biopics�) about African American historical figures or entertainers that have made it to the big screen. The two most recent that stand out in my mind are Michael Mann’s Ali and Spike Lee’s Malcolm X. Ray outshines them by leaps and bounds.

Coming in at 2 ½ hours (which actually felt more like 1 ½ hours), Ray brilliantly tells us the story of the late, great Ray Charles. The film focuses on his musical endeavors: joining his first band, getting signed with Atlantic Records, his rise to fame that leads to an unprecedented record deal with ABC-Paramount Records, and his struggle with balancing his music with his love for women--starting first with his wife Della Bea (Kerry Robinson), and moving on to his background singers--and his rapid descent to near destruction due to his heroin addiction. Via flashbacks, we see the events that shaped his life: most notably the accidental death of his younger brother, his struggle with and eventual acceptance of his sudden blindness as a young child.

Jamie Foxx, coming off a spectacular year that has featured a number 1 Pop/R&B/Hip-Hop record as well as his performance in Collateral, has delivered the performance of his career. His performance is not a mimic or caricature. He literally transformed himself into Ray Charles. He’s a shoo-in for the Oscar Nomination for Best Actor. I wouldn’t be surprised if he walked away with the big prize.

Now I know my fair share of Ray Charles records. Everybody knows “Hit the Road Jack� and “Georgia on My Mind.� The second season of The Cosby Show had the Huxtables doing an unforgettable lip-sync of Ray’s “Night Time Is the Right Time� (one of the greatest TV moments for me!) But I was more of an admirer than an actual fan. I respected him for the icon that he was. But I never knew the impact that his music and his boldness to claim control over his music in the 1950s and 60s had on the music industry. This film opened my eyes. Ray Charles was a trailblazer. Today’s African American musicians and musical entrepreneurs like Berry Gordy and P Diddy owe a truckload of gratitude to the late great Brother Ray.

As for the music itself, most of it may be over 40 years old, but it still rocks! This music is just as electrifying and exciting to hear in 2004 as it must have been in the 50s and 60s. I almost got up to dance in the theater a couple of times! When you see the film, be sure to choose a theater with a top notch sound system. You’ll find yourself leaving the theater singing “What I Say� and “Unchain My Heart� while walking out to your car.

[SPOILER WARNING] It was very interesting for me to find out that the secret to Ray’s success was his fusion of Gospel and secular music. The film reveals that a few of Ray’s hit records were Gospel songs reworked with secular lyrics. There’s even a scene where some Christians challenge him in the middle of a performance by declaring his music blasphemous. This is a debate that is still going on today. Nowadays, Gospel artists are using more secular (hip-hop) based instrumentals in their songs?and they find themselves under just as much scrutiny as Ray Charles did in his day. [End Spoiler]

One gripe I had with the film: the rather abrupt ending.

[SPOILER WARNING] The climax of the film comes with Charles coming to grips with his heroin addiction and checking himself into rehab. He fights the “jones� (craving) with all of his strength, then comes to a place of healing and resolution regarding his brother’s death. Then, about 10 minutes later in a scene set in 1979, the film ends. On top of that, what’s arguably Ray Charles’ finest hour in music?his rendition of “America the Beautiful� is completely omitted from the film. Bummer . . . major bummer! [END SPOILER]

We won’t find out if the director was forced to stop the film when he did until it hits DVD. But, in retrospect, I (and probably most anyone who sees the film) think that the director should have gone for broke and made the film closer to 3 hours. It’s a compelling and powerful film in its current form. I don’t think audiences would have been upset by 15 more minutes of film time.

In addition to Foxx’s performance, kudos go to Kerry Robinson as Ray’s beloved wife, who ebbs and flows from tremendous joy to intense heartbreak and back again. Also, Regina King and Aunjanue Ellis deliver strong performers as Ray’s background singers turned mistresses. The women all struggle with their desire to be the Number 1 woman in Charles’ life. But?as his wife lets us know in a powerful scene?his Number 1 woman (even above her) is his music.

Last, but not least, big kudos go to Sharon Warren for her performance as Ray’s mother. In her performance, she walks the fine line between strength and pain. We see her struggling to keep her family together, and she endures losing one son to death as well as being the guiding force of strength and dignity in Ray’s young life as his blindness takes over. I look forward to seeing more work from her.

Ray Charles is an American & worldwide icon. This film is a fitting tribute to his legacy. I wish the film had a bit more room to include Brother Ray’s “America the Beautiful,� but for what it’s worth, the film was still awesome. I said it as the credits rolled, I’ll say it again: Ray is the best African American based biopic ever!

—Overview
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—About this Film pdf file
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Woman Thou Art Loosed

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Spoilers included throughout this review.

When I tell folks that I’m a film critic for a Christian website, they always ask me if I’ve seen Left Behind, Omega Code, and the rest of those “scare ‘em into Heaven� Christian flicks. My answer is always an emphatic NO! Of course they ask why not. Then I promptly launch into my big Christian film speech: The problem with Left Behind and all those other films is that they deal solely with Revelation/end-times stuff. That’s not the films that Christian filmmakers need to be making. There are other stories that need to be told. God is doing bigger things in people’s lives. He’s delivering folks from addictions, healing people from deep pain and childhood trauma, and giving people strength to overcome their obstacles. Those are the films that I want to see. Why aren’t Christian filmmakers stepping up to the plate to tell relevant stories that deal with everyday life?

Looks like my prayers have been answered.

Bishop T.D. Jakes, one of the most prolific ministers of the Gospel in these modern-day times, has stepped up to the plate and created this film based on his book/music album/yearly women’s evangelism conference “Woman Thou Art Loosed.� It tells the story of Michelle (Kimberly Elise), a young lady caught up in the life of the streets who ultimately finds herself on Death Row. Jakes appears in the film as himself as well. He visits Michelle in prison and is compelled to minister to her. Turns out, the crime that landed Michelle in Death Row was murdering her mother’s boyfriend in cold blood . . . not to mention that she accomplished this crime during an altar call at Jakes’ revival meeting in Los Angeles.

Through Jake's interaction with Michelle in her cell, we are shown flashbacks of Michelle’s story. It’s a heartbreaking, yet common, story. Michelle’s mom Cassie (Loretta Devine), hungry and thirsty for a man, goes on a first date with the slithery Reggie (Clifton Powell). Just as soon as Cassie leaves the room, Reggie begins to make sexual innuendos to the 8 year old Michelle. Years later, Reggie becomes Cassie’s live-in boyfriend . . . and those innuendos become full-blown sexual abuse. This plot thread may seem cliché to viewers (mainstream critics have dismissed this film as an overblown TV movie), but the reality is that many women (and men) have suffered horrendous sexual and physical abuse by live-in boyfriends . . . and uncles . . . and fathers. When Michelle confronts her mother with this news, Cassie accuses Michelle of lying, and the downward spiral begins. This spiral includes drug addiction, a stint at a strip club, more abuse by her pimp/drug dealer, and, ultimately, prison time.

The film’s main thread of Michelle’s flashbacks takes place when she is released from a prison stint and returns home to Los Angeles. As she plots a strategy to get her life back on track, she’s invited to a T.D. Jakes 3-day revival meeting. Michelle’s inner demons begin to surface as she hears Jakes’ messages. Through those messages, God gives Michelle the opportunity to be released from the bondage that the pain of her life has kept her in for all these years. By the end of the second day of the revival, Michelle becomes ready to respond to God’s call.

At the same time, people from Michelle’s past -- both good and bad -- resurface in her life. On the good side: her former playmate Todd who has held a torch for Michelle after all their years growing up together. On the bad side: her mother, Cassie, who continues to live in denial about Michelle’s abuse at the hands of Reggie, and also Michelle’s old pimp and drug dealer, who still has Michelle on the hook for $5000. Despite all these obstacles, Michelle makes her way to the last day of the revival, ready to bring her pain and sorrow to The Lord. But just before she gets her chance, tragedy strikes.

Woman Thou Art Loosed was not shot with a multimillion dollar budget and does not have elaborate settings and flashy editing tricks. Who cares? The power of this small film cannot be denied. It is a real story, depicting the real situations of many women across this country who have been victims of sexual and physical abuse. It is on par with Denzel Washington’s film Antoine Fisher which also dealt with a person coming to terms with his abuse and suffering.

I am very glad that film was released with an R-rating. Don’t let the rating confuse you. This is very heavy subject matter presented realistically, but it is not presented in a vulgar manner. Yes, you will see Michelle dancing on a pole in a strip club. Yes, you will see drug use and abuse taking place. Yes, you will see women being beaten and raped by men. But that’s reality! When reality is compromised, the message of the Gospel is compromised as well. God doesn’t necessarily save people out of spit-shined, polished lifestyles. He saves them out of real pain and abuse. Bishop Jakes is to be commended for telling the truth in this story. It’s jarring and shocking . . . but necessary.

Hopefully audiences who see the film will pay close attention to Bishop Jakes’ sermons which are featured throughout the film. His words are like nourishment to a starving and thirsty soul. One of those messages struck me . . . and really helped me to understand the criticisms of the film offered by mainstream film critics. I stated earlier that those critics have dismissed the film as being on par with a TV-movie of the week. One critic even stated that the film is nothing more than “a feature film masquerading as a commercial for Bishop Jakes' ministry.� That totally speaks of the cynicism in today’s society. In the film, Bishop Jakes launches a tirade against just such cynicism by declaring this society the “Get Over It Generation!� Many people still hold pain and memories of abuse similar to what’s shown in this film because of the gospel of this “Get Over It Generation.� We are taught to bury our pain, suck it up, and keep on pressing. But there are some pains and hurts that cannot be easily buried . . . especially those caused by abuse on this level.

A disclaimer appears at the end of the film declaring that Michelle is a fictitious character based on a composite of many individuals. However, this fictitious story is playing itself out in many people’s lives daily. With that in mind, Bishop Jakes has opened up a section of the film’s website to provide immediate help and assistance to those who are suffering from abuse. For anyone who reads this review and finds themselves or someone they know in a similar situation as the one in this film, I encourage you to see the film and take the bold and courageous step of walking away from this cycle of pain and bondage. Freedom never comes by burying our trauma. It can come only by confronting it. Hopefully, through this film, women across America and the world will be loosed from the bondage of abuse as well.

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Mr. 3000

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In Mr. 3000, Bernie Mac plays Stan Ross, a retired Milwaukee Brewer who finds out 9 years after getting his 3,000 hit in Major League Baseball that 3 of those hits don’t count. Bold, brassy, and stone-cold in love with himself, Stan goes on a mission to reclaim those 3 missing hits en route to his rightful place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Concept sounds good on paper. When it comes to execution, however . . . Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . .

Mac’s performance comes across as not even a performance. Stan Ross is basically just another caricature of himself. You could easily save the matinee money and Tivo an episode of his TV show if you’re that desperate to see Bernie Mac do his thing. He’s still fussing and crying about getting the short end of life’s stick. You can simply substitute baseball players and sports reporters for the kids on his show.

Even the chemistry between Ross and his Milwaukee Brewers teammates was boring. The best player on the team is a hotshot home-run slugger who walks with the same swagger and arrogance that Ross did in his earlier playing days. The filmmakers were probably aiming to present a mentor-student type relationship between these two as well as the other players (including 2 guys who spend the whole film playing dumb trivia contests and a Japanese pitcher who can’t quite get his curse words in the proper syntax and context). But it comes across as just another sports movie cliché. If you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen it all before.

It was really good to see Angela Bassett in a mainstream flick again playing Mac’s love interest, an ESPN reporter and ex-flame of Stan Ross. Most of her roles have a certain intensity to them. To see her playing in a lighter film was refreshing. Hopefully she'll do more roles like this.

The ending was a slight surprise -- but just as contrived as the rest of the flick. Overall, the film is just another C+ exercise in mediocrity. Not a good film. Not a bad film. But a boring film in the end. It’s just sitting there, spooling reel after reel through the multiplex projector as it waits for time to pass on by . . . and so will the audience.

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Garden State

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A phone rings. Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff), nicknamed “Large� by his friends, doesn’t answer it. His father’s voice (Ian Holm) painfully booms across the answering machine with some very tragic news that requires him to go home to New Jersey for the first time in 9 years. Many individuals would respond with unrelenting pain and grief. Not Large. He retreats to his medicine cabinet where he takes a dose of antidepressant medication to numb himself of the pain caused by this tragedy.

Once Large gets home, he hooks up with his old buddies, who have basically grown up to be 20-something-year-old slackers. Unlike Large, they use drugs, sex, and other methods to numb themselves of life’s pains and disappointments. After one night with these guys, Large begins to wonder if coming home was a good idea. Then he meets Sam (Natalie Portman), who single-handedly transforms the Garden State into his own personal Garden of Eden.

Garden State is an awesome film. It is a wonderful testimony to the power of love and the power of healing. The centerpiece of the film is the relationship and love that is developed between Large and Sam. The two meet when Large visits a shrink -- advised by his father, [SPOILER] whom we later find out has been prescribing for Large just about every antidepressant med that’s on the market. [END SPOILER] Large gives Sam a ride home. Sam gives Large a whole lot more. Through their friendship and, ultimately, their love, Large is given the freedom to feel again. He feels unconditional love through a simple, yet powerful hug from Sam’s mom. He feels strength that enables him to uncover a deep, dark family secret. He gets the ultimate taste of true freedom by screaming at the top of his lungs down a deep, dark abyss.

The message I got from the film is actually a pro-Christian message (of sorts). Two book series that I’ve studied came to mind while watching this film: John Eldridge’s Wild At Heart and the Cloud-Townsend books, including the Boundaries series, Hiding From Love, and others. Those books emphasize the point that the only way to become truly free is to go back and revisit the most painful moments of our lives.

That's what I saw in this film. Because of Sam's influence in his life, Large was able to stop numbing himself through those antidepressant meds and he was enabled to finally face the painful moments in his life. The pain was keeping him . . . as well as his dad and mom (as we heard through earlier stories during her life) . . . in prison. He went home and broke free. That's what the cry in the deep, dark abyss represents (as I stated earlier): a cry for freedom.

This film is Zach Braff’s directorial debut and its an impressive one. It takes him a bit of time to settle into a reasonable plot thread in the film, but once he zeroes in on his main plot focus, the film soars like an eagle. His relationship with Sam is totally believable thanks to Natalie Portman’s performance. This is the best performance of her career. She hasn’t been this great since The Professional. If Portman had played Padme Amidala in the Star Wars Prequels -- most especially Episode 2’s love story arc -- with the same conviction, vulnerability and force that she displays in this film, maybe audiences would not have laughed her and Anakin’s puppy-love teenage romance off the screen. This film proves that she’s got the chops. Here’s hoping that this film gives her the chance to exercise those mighty chops in Episode 3.

Christians often claim the famous passage describing the ultimate work of Christ through His crucifixion in Isaiah 53:5 (By His wounds/stripes we are healed). Many of us have missed the power of that declaration by applying the scripture only to physical healing. Christ came to heal our sickened and weary bodies. But He also takes great pleasure in healing our souls from the pains and griefs that life brings us. In this film, Sam is truly a Christ-like character. Her love enables Large to feel the pain he’s tried so hard to hide in his life. [SPOILER] She even celebrates his breakthrough by catching one of Large’s tears in a paper cup to be preserved forever. That may seem corny to some, but to me, that’s a beautiful description of Christ’s love. [END SPOILER]

If you haven’t yet seen Garden State, I advise you to check it out. You’ll be glad you did.

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