[the truth]

Just seen it for the first time, uninterrupted (the only way to watch a movie)
and it was fan bluddy tastatic
fantastic performances from everyone, the story was magnificent, as was the writing, the screenplay, the cinematography...everything just kept the story on track and the viewer hooked

all the srong characters were women, his mother was a great role, his wonderful loyal wife and the women he had on the road (mostly his backing singers) they were all unbelievably sexy too

as for jamie foxx, well its just a peerless masterclass....

as for ray charles robinson, the man was a timeless genius

the movie highlights his life in flashbacks often, it hints at his pain in losing his brother in a freak drowning accident, how ray himself loses his sight aged 7, how he fights to come to terms with it

his 20 odd year battle with drugs , he gets hooked early by jumping in with his band members taking heroin and hes hooked for decades

the americans make the best movies by miles, they assemble the best people, but they also share in the dream, the vision....the beauty of this movie is it never dwelled too long on the morbid, as the writers and producers seem to want to not lose focus on what was rays real true number 1 love and inspiration in life, simply his music.

like great works of art, this movie made me think, how much should we forgive ray for playing around with women on tour? does the fact that hes a worldwide genius working his backside off to provide the world with timeless music, added to his lifetime of struggles earn him some kind of forgiveness for cheating on his wife?

also add in the fact he was blind and black in a racist period....abused , bullied and discriminated against his whole life? the fact 1 of the few things he ever remembers seeing before going blind, was his brother drowning?

the fact he was treated as less than human for being black and for being blind...the fact he refused to play in georgia as he refused to play to segregated audiences.....the sheer enormous pain and frustration he must have carried his whole life....throw in the drugs to ease that pain


later in life he went cold turkey and kicked those damn drugs forever, which is a truly legendary achievement....he donated $20 million to drugs and blind charities in his home state ........and georgia unbanned the great musician and made georgia on my mind its national song

Life is complex and carrying this mans burdens cannot be underestimated...for me his story is ultimately one of astonishing accomplishment, mistakes, pain, loneliness, joy and ultimately redemption

awesome movie, extraordinary talent! Bravo!