Grade: B- | Genre: Drama Summary: Ray is definitely worth seeing because the music is genius and this tribute is a fitting way to remember the man that gave us "Georgia on My Mind."

Playing Ray Charles, Jamie Foxx gives the performance of his life in a film that would have been nothing more than a cable mini-series without him. Whoah! Did I really say that?

Ray is definitely worth seeing because the music is genius and this tribute is a fitting way to remember the man that gave us "Georgia on My Mind." (Side note: How ironic was it for a state, which had the most beautiful song ever written about it, to ban its creator from performing it?) From his poor farm life in Florida to his extravagant home in LA, you see how a man takes control of his life and opportunities and goes beyond everyone's expectations but his...all without the gift of vision.

It's hard to imagine Ray Charles as a heroin addict who is continuously unfaithful to his loving and perplexingly understanding and tolerant wife, but Foxx's performance made him endearing and had us hopeful that he would leave behind his addictions and infidelities.

Though a notable effort by Taylor Hackford, as I watched Ray, I wished that a director like Spike Lee, known for his stunning cinematography, would have taken the helm and applied the same magic that made "Mo' Better Blues" one of the most beautiful movies to look at and listen to. But that's just me.

Jamie Foxx has come a long way since "In Living Color's Wanda" and his rise to A-list performer is just beginning. Best Actor Oscar? Absolutely, although, Leonardo Dicaprio definitely deserves the nod and in any other year without the heavily favored Foxx, he would easily take home the Oscar. Best Picture? No, not over the "Aviator."

Rent Ray or see it re-released in theatres (as of this posting).