This Ray Charles biopic stars Jamie Foxx, who completely immersed himself in the portrayal of the genius musician, and provides an unvarnished, warts and all, look at the life of a celebrity who to many, had it all – other than the ability to see. Much of his music was rooted in the tragedy of his childhood, and his womanizing and drug abuse over an extended period of years.

Flashbacks to his childhood reveal the strength of Ray’s mother, Aretha (with a sparkling debut performance by Sharon Warren), as she struggles with the accidental death of Ray’s little brother. As the grief stricken young Ray tries to adjust to his impending blindness, a key transformation scene plays out.

Sixteen-year-old Ray Charles hits the road and learns how to create music, develop a business sense as he gets ripped off by supposed friends and lovers, in addition to falling into drugs as a way to pass the time on the chitlin circuit (black clubs in the south). After he meets Della Bea (a heartwarming performance from Kerry Washington), he becomes a husband and father. His weakness for female companionship leads to too many affairs to count, 12 children and the inspiration for many of his best songs, such as "I Got a Woman," "Mary Ann," and "Born to Lose."

A solid story, across the board fine acting, along with high production values and great music make this an exceptional film. Regina King as Margie Hendricks, defines what background singers can bring to a performance. Last year’s film "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" examined the intuitive process of creating a painting. This film does a magnificent job of capturing the spirit of making music, to the extent that you get an epiphany and say, "Now I know what that song really means."

George’s Take: Although I’ve embraced the various reincarnations of Ray Charles’ music, the film made me appreciate his good business sense. And also to recognize something that is very rare among even the best singers, like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, and that’s the ability to totally change your sound and musical genre.

Pam’s Take: Two impressions remain in my mind; the strength of the women in Ray’s life and the overwhelming sense of loss he felt from his brother’s death. Maybe that’s why he saw clearly the emotions in the music.

Jamie Foxx comes across as the embodiment of Ray Charles rather than an impersonation. Our sense is that the film is gaining momentum and may actually exceed the studio hype. For any Ray Charles fan, this is a must see film.