Raymond and Ray – Overly-Familiar Drama For Better or Worse

Raymond & Ray had all the makings to be something truly special from having its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival to its talented stars and very awards-friendly premise but unfortunately the film never really comes together and is destined to be instantly forgotten about as soon as the credits start rolling. The film follows half brothers Raymond and Ray (McGregor and Hawke) who reunite when their estranged father dies and come together to complete his final wish which involves them both digging his grave. Along the way they discover who they really are as men and look back at their time together as brothers and with their father.

Raymond & Ray is classified as both a comedy and a drama however it’s much more of a drama with a few comedic moments sprinkled in throughout. The biggest problem with this film is how slight, familiar and standard of a drama it is. There isn’t a single original bone in its body and everything that happens in terms of the story and characters has been done so much better before. The film is also devoid of emotion as it never quite packs the punch it’s clearly striving for which is strange considering its relatable premise that is sure to resonate with a large portion of audiences.

The film clocks in at just over the 100 minute mark but that being said, there’s no reason at all that it should’ve been any longer than 90-minutes based on how little substance the film actually delivers. It feels like it was intended to be a short film that somewhere along the way got extended to feature length. Certain scenes are stretched out way more than they should be, and others serve absolutely no purpose other than to extend the running time. While it’s not an overly long film by any means, it feels like it goes on for a lot longer than it actually is and really starts to drag at points especially closer to the final act.

But where Raymond & Ray is saved and kept fairly watchable is in the two lead performances from McGregor and Hawke as its titular characters. Both are essentially playing fictionalized versions of their public personas but they add so much depth and warmth to an otherwise emotionless film. Their characters feel fully lived-in and make it very easy to believe that they’re actually brothers and share this troubled past together. Even when the film is at its lowest, they keep things afloat due to their strong chemistry together. In fact, all of the acting is pretty good and Maribel Verdú and Sophie Okonedo as Lucia and Kiera respectively make good counterparts for our leading duo.

In the end, there isn’t anything overly wrong with Raymond & Ray but it is still a missed opportunity and strands two of today’s finest actors with a very mediocre product full of plot contrivances, dull storylines, and hardly any emotional impact. It’s a competent enough film that hardcore fans of its leading actors may get some sort of enjoyment out of, but it can’t help but feel dull, lifeless and hollow by the end. Most audiences probably haven’t even heard of this one and there’s probably a good reason for that.

still courtesy of Apple

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/