February 9, 2005
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WEDNESDAY MOVIE
Ray Of the five films nominated for Best Picture for the Academy Awards, I’ve seen three: The Aviator, Ray, and Sideways. I’ve reviewed the other two already, so that leaves Ray, which I watched on video a few weeks ago. (The ones I haven’t seen are Million Dollar Baby and Finding Neverland.)
My first real memory of Ray Charles was in the ‘60’s when “I’ve Got a Woman” came out and suddenly it was mandatory to learn how to Twist. I was in a little turn-up-the-music, dance your brains out, get drunk, and get laid interlude in my life, so that gospel/boogie-woogie style fit right in. Of course, he was like Dylan – he could switch gears and did throughout his career. The movie gives you plenty of variety to listen to and history of his early life and how he became famous and kicked heroin addiction, but the real reason to see it is the performance of Jamie Foxx in the title role. This guy was definitely in a zone last year with four films in the can (also Redemption, Collateral, and Breakin’ All the Rules). He is the first person ever nominated for three different roles at the Golden Globes in the same year. Part of his fit for this role was that he took piano lessons starting at age 3 and attended Juilliard to study classical piano. In the film, he wears prosthetic eyelids which made him virtually blind. Bottom line – he disappears into the part. You completely forget you’re watching an actor. It’s been 15 years since In Living Color and what a rise. So hope you see this film – if not for the music, for the magic.
Deep Thought: “Instead of a trap door, what about an area of the floor that just shoots up real quick and smashes the guy against the ceiling?”
Today I am grateful for: Microwaved leftover coffee from yesterday
Guess the Movie: “In every class there is a joker who thinks that he is smarter than me. In this class that happens to be you isn’t it, mayonnaise?” Answer: An Officer and a Gentleman, 1982.
Winner: here_at_home.
Pro-Soldier, Anti-War
My Experiences as a Conscientious Objector and the Launching of Peace-Out.Com
by Perry O’Brien
I joined the Army on August 27th, 2001, just two weeks before the terrorist attacks of 9/11. As naive as its sounds, I wasn’t thinking about going to war when I signed up. I was thinking about jumping out of planes, learning medical skills, and getting a tangible experience that would be somehow more “real” than the previous two years of college. Enlisting was totally spontaneous, and I never took time to sit down and consider how I really felt about war. (Rest of article here.)
End of Day: 9:26 pm
+ = Vanity Fair came today.
- = Chocolate is evil.
Comments (11)
I saw an interview with Jamie Fox recently. I admire him greatly..I have seen Sideways but not Ray pr the Aviator.
Finding Neverland is so incredibly good. Johnny Depp was a nuanced and understated as I’ve ever seen. I agree, Jamie Fox became Ray Charles, and the music was fabulous, but I found the heroin addiction part very sad and disturbing, and I guess senseless. It’s hard for me to watch the behind the scenes of famous people and see what a mess they make of their lives in real life because of very poor choices. Sometimes, I’d rather enjoy the person on screen or in music and not know. I saw “The Aviator” and while good, was overrated, too long and slow in places.
RYC: Thanks for the encouragement…..
Well, I’ve only seen one (Finding Neverland which I desperately wanted to see being a lifelong Peter Pan fan, and a total Johnny Depp fan, bored me to death – I thought I’d been the theater for 5 or 6 hours), but Ray is now tops on my list.
Great article link. Thanks (as always)
Thanks for sharing that story on the CO website, it’s good to see that the support for anti-war action is growing. If only our leaders didn’t think that war was a fun game.
“Officer and a Gentleman.” (oh, boy, young Richard Gere…middle aged Richard Gere, for that matter.) Haven’t seen any of the nominees–we are always months behind on movies, but want to see all. A blabby acquaintance spoiled the end of “Million Dollar Baby” for me.
Jamie Foxx was recently interviewed on The Actor’s Studio, and he played a little piano for the audience. He is one accomplished dude.
Officer and Gentleman it is! Recently saw Gere in Shall We Dance? It was a sweet role for him. Not a fantastic movie especially, but a sweet role. Yes, I heard about the ending of Million Dollar Baby too. I had so looked forward to seeing it and probably will when it comes out on DVD but not sure I could stand it at the “cinema.”
Million Dollar Baby will win. So will Jamie Foxx and Hilary Swank. I think Best Director is up in the air, though.
Isn’t it amazing? In Living Color to this? Who would have thought Jamie Foxx of Bootycall would be a classically trained pianist? That whole assuming thing making an ass of u and me? So true.
A little over 30 years ago I was walking in New York’s Central Park when I heard music coming from a small stage. It was Ray Charles and his band just playing. I sat front row. Funny, I loved his music and his vitality, but he was already gray, and as someone in her 20′s, I thought I was probably seeing one of his last performances.
Jamie Foxx deserves Best Actor, tho Eastwood may get it for sentimental reasons. Swank’s a shoo-in. Haven’t seen Aviator, but of the three I saw, I rank Million-Dollar Baby first, Ray a close second, and Sideways a distant third. That said, Sideways had brilliant cinematography and screenplay, but the story was rather stupid and the acting only average-plus.