Review - Ray [written November 2004]

“Jamie Foxx for President!”
OK so it’s too late for that. But here now is my unqualified endorsement of the motion picture Ray currently playing locally. You may not be as familiar with Ray Charles as you are with the Jackson Five, the Miracles or the Temptations perhaps because he was not a part of the ubiquitous Motown label (he was signed first by Atlantic Records). Or you may say it is because of your age. In any event Ray Charles was still something of an unknown to us. However, he may have had more of an impact upon contemporary music than any in the Motown crowd. For example, Ray was the first to combine music from his Gospel roots with Blues, Jazz, R&B and with Country & Western music. His was the music that Elvis Presley copied. He refused to let styles get in his way – he simply used them all.
Do you like the ballad “Georgia on my mind”? Did you know that Ray was banned for life from Georgia until 1979? The movie tells the story. From his humble start as one of two sons of a poor but resourceful and strong willed young mother, a Georgia sharecropper; to his international acclaim, this movie spins the most beautiful of tales. There are no car chases, no gun battles, no explosions – sorry to disappoint you. This movie is story telling like we used to enjoy at grandma’s knee.
When you watch this film, stop for a moment and take in the cinematography, the scenery and the costumes. All reflect the 1930s through to the 1960s: the music, the dance halls, the homes, the cars and the way people danced and dressed.
Jamie Foxx has come a long way since his days on TV and his earlier movies. You may remember that he played Drew Bundini Brown, Muhammad Ali’s confidant in the movie Ali starring Will Smith. That movie for me was his first serious portrayal, and even then it was difficult to take him seriously. And since then we saw him along side Tom Cruise in Collateral, where he played the kidnapped cab driver and he was very good in that role.

Jamie Foxx in his portrayal as Ray Charles is beyond good, he is exceptional. It is a known fact that it is very difficult to portray a living or known character, so this was not an easy role. As an audience we have a picture or memory in our minds of the individual, so we are harsher in our judgment when an actor attempts to re-create the character. For example, Forrest Whitaker (who also directed that all time favorite of the women “Waiting to Exhale”) portrayed jazz saxophonist Charlie ‘Yardbird’ Parker in the movie called ‘Bird’ [1988] which was directed by Clint Eastwood, a jazz fanatic. I thought Forrest Whitaker should have won the Academy Award for that performance, but alas no. My point is that it is easier for me to picture Forrest Whitaker as Bird Parker than Denzel as Hurricane Carter or Will Smith as Ali. While Denzel was very good as both Malcolm X and Rubin Hurricane Carter; and Will Smith outstanding as Muhammad Ali, Jamie Foxx is better than both in his capture of Ray Charles’ mannerisms, expressions and gait. He must win the Academy Award for this performance – there is just no way around it. This is a movie that will make you feel good and will teach you about some things that you did not know about the times and the imitable Ray Charles.

Kerry Washington and Regina King are unforgettable as the women in the life of Ray Charles Robinson. Treat yourself to something wonderful - go see Ray!

The Cookie Thief by Valarie Cox

The woman was waiting at the airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight,
She hunted for a book in the airport shop,
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book, but happened to see,
That the man beside her, as bold as he could be,
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between,
Which she tried to ignore, to avoid a scene.
She read, munched cookies and watched the clock,
As the gutsy "cookie thief" diminished her stock.

She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I'd blacken his eye!"
With each cookie she took, he took one, too.
When only one was left, she wondered what he'd do.
With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.
He offered her half, as he ate the other.

She snatched it from him and thought,
" Oh brother, This guy has some nerve, and he's also rude.
Why he didn't even show any gratitude!"
She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.

She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate,
Refusing to look back at the "thieving ingrate."
She boarded the plane and sank in her seat,
Then sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise.

There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes!
"If mine are here," she moaned with despair,
"Then the others were his and he tried to share!"
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief!

Review - A Love Song For Bobby Long

“A Love Song for Bobby Long” stars John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson and is a must see. Forgive me but it has no car chases, bombs or shootings – so don’t expect any. However if you like adult (I did not say pornographic) dramas, a good plot with a superbly written script then you’ll like this one. Another reason it has become a favorite of mine is because it is set in New Orleans, the crescent city.

The plot is of a young woman (Purslane) who rushes to New Orleans after hearing the news that her mother has died. Once there she finds that she has to share her mother’s home with Bobby Long (Travolta) and Lawson, his former male student, companion and erstwhile biographer. The tension and repartee between Bobby and Purslane is fun to watch, enjoyable to listen to and easy to follow - all of which reflects a well written script. Bobby has a past which is unravaled through the passage of time and Purslane's dead mother has a secret she shared with no one while alive.

Scarlett Johansson has become one of my favorite young actresses ever since her role in Lost in Translation with Bill Murray back in 2003. I can’t seem to choose between her and Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Wedding Crashers, Red Eye) both of whom are very beautiful, but who can also act. John Travolta is simply excellent in this role as he continues to show his tremendous range and presence as a superstar actor.

RATING: Four (out of four) Scorched Conchs

Loss of The Compleat Angler

The Compleat Angler Hotel in Bimini (Bahamas) was a landmark, an historic relic of national proportions. Unfortunately this morning comes news that it has been lost in a fiery all consuming blaze. This was no ordinary hotel or landmark; this was part of the economic heart of Bimini and a favorite of visitors for over a half-century. The Angler (as we locals called it) was a night club, hotel, restaurant, bar and perhaps best of all a museum.

I shall fondly remember my last visit to the Compleat Angler as I sat at the day bar basking in the morning sunlight streaming through an eastern window, soaking in the history of the grand old wooden building and enjoying spirited conversation as well as a nice cold Heineken, or was it Kalik? After the first four or five of them before noon, the details get to be a little hazy. There was another more discrete bar, rich with local history, sports memorabilia and autographs of the rich and famous that opened only during the evening on the inside. It was the kind of bar where if you were fortunate enough to get a seat at 7pm, you didn’t give it up until just before you bravely staggered outside into a bright early morning sunrise. Frequent visitors to Bimini know that sleep is preferable and socially acceptable during the daytime - the night time is reserved for revelry.

To say that we have lost an important piece of our history would be an understatement as the rich and famous from all over the world had visited the Angler's hallowed halls. Some of the rich and famous, perhaps in various stages of inebriation, even had their photos added to the myriad of others lining the Angler’s mahogany walls. There you could view photos that told the stories of fishing tournaments from many, many years ago. And there too you would see photos of the straggly bearded face of Papa (Ernest) Hemingway whose writings and frequent visits brought fame to the Angler and the island. One famous photo of with a 500 pound shark is said to have inspired his Nobel prize winning novel The Old Man And The Sea.

We shall miss you Compleat Angler; for while New Orleans has Bourbon Street, those fortunate few of us who call Bimini home, we had the Compleat Angler.

National Myopia

This past Friday morning the back page of section A of my morning Tribune, featured an ad for a grand banquet to honor our dear Cynthia 'Mother' Pratt, the deputy Prime Minister of The Bahamas. This advertisement again reminds me of the temporal nature of Bahamian political life. A fact of that life is this, current political figures are elevated to deity levels while former ones are avoided and in some cases disdained. If there is a grand opening, or a grand anniversary celebration, we invite our politicians: but only those on the government side of the isle. And to shorten this list even further, they must be currently serving in Parliament. How myopic?

It makes us seem to be a people who only want to be associated with the last election winners. At least until nearing the next election time when the political winds seem to be pointing to a change in political fortunes of the current government members of parliament (MP). So, are we only interested in politicians who won the last election? What about the ones who lost the last election, but who were beloved before the fall of the political axe?

This is not to say that there ought not be a banquet honoring the Deputy Prime Minister, who also happens to be the first female to hold the post. No, instead it is to point out that we should honor all those deserving of honor, no matter their politics. In fact it may be best to save the plaudits for our politicians for after they have left office. It goes to the fact that politicians are to the Bahamas what Britanny Spears, or Brad Pitt is to The USA, a celebrity. And befitting their celebrity status we seemingly have this belief that their presence at our local functions gives added stature and importance to them. Again however, why only the current government politicians?

A country of our size (300,000) can ill afford to throw away or discount anyone. And this is particularly true of those who have served us in Parliament. Least we forget, by virtue of their MP experience, many may be considered among the country's best and the brightest. And as they are already well known, they are already our celebrities. So let us resolve to treat our politicians equally. And always remember that they are politicians and not statesmen, or stateswomen - that is an honor that they must earn.