Raymond & Ray follows two half-brothers and the contrasting responses they have in response to the loss of their estranged father. The film stars Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke as the titular characters, as they each work through their grief in their own way.
The film’s greatest strength is its central idea as it showcases how two different manifestations of grief interact and conflict with one another. While McGregor’s Raymond seeks to respect his father’s final wishes despite their differences, Hawke’s Ray feels their father does not deserve a proper burial after what he put them through. This central dichotomy of obligation vs. morality is further complicated as the brothers meet other characters who had more positive experiences with their father. As the film progresses, it raises interesting questions of how people can change in life as well as the legacy we leave behind.
This contrasting dynamic is further strengthened by the film’s two lead actors who both deliver impressive performances that showcase that they were well-cast in their respective roles. Ewan McGregor delivers a solid performance as Raymond, a man who continuously struggles to hide his pain behind a smile. As the film progresses, the audience watches him be slowly torn apart by feeling he must honor his father despite all the pain that he brought him over the years. Meanwhile, Ethan Hawke’s portrayal of the stoic yet internally tortured Ray is equally remarkable to watch. As more is revealed about Ray’s past, it feels as if Hawke lets the audience in on who his character truly is. Delivering two vastly different performances, both actors subtly showcase the damaged nature of their characters and how they have been shaped by their past experiences with their father.
That being said, the two actors also have great chemistry with each other. Together, McGregor and Hawke are able to accurately recreate the ups and downs of sibling relationships. The film is truly at its best when these two actors are simply allowed to play off each other. This proves to not only be true in comedic scenes but also in the more tense exchanges between the two characters.
This film likewise excels when it comes to its cinematography. This is a beautifully shot film, as the color grading and shot compositions match the intimate and grounded story that the filmmakers set out to tell. The film features a muted color palette that embodies its themes of grief and loss well. It also uses many single and close-up shots and brings the audience face-to-face with the emotions of the characters. This proves to be particularly effective at the viewing at their father’s funeral as the audience is given a front-row seat to the whirlwind of emotions that the brothers experience in saying goodbye to their father.
However, from a writing perspective, the film has many shortcomings. The first act of the film is exposition heavy and does not smoothly or effectively establish the relationship between the two brothers. The first segment of the film can be boiled down to various exchanges where one brother goes: “hey remember when Dad did this?” to which the other responds: “yeah that was messed up”. While this style of introduction can work in moderation, the first half hour features an overwhelming amount of this exposition. This results in an off-putting start to the film as the audience is clunkily introduced to the character dynamic between the two brothers.
The film also tends to introduce ideas without following through on them in a meaningful way. Plot elements are introduced, and while they could connect to the protagonists’ character arcs and struggles, they are often brushed over or moved past too quickly. Characters often reference past events in the lives of Raymond and Ray but they are not followed up on again. New characters are introduced, but then subsequently exit the film without serving a real narrative purpose. This leads to many loose ends and plot threads, and leaves the audience to wonder why these elements were included at all.
Centered around grief, the film attempts to tackle major questions of legacy and how people can have vastly different perspectives and experiences with the same person. The two brothers grapple with the idea that their father might have changed for the better later in life. However, the film provides no real reference point in support of or against this argument, leaving the audience’s perception of Raymond and Ray’s father to only be formed through exposition provided by other characters. Without context, you are left to watch the characters grieve a man that we were never introduced to.
This leads to the film’s greatest shortcoming: focusing on an antagonist that is not present. The filmmakers attempt to frame Raymond and Ray’s father as the villain of the film. The two brothers lament the terrible actions of their father and how it has negatively affected their lives. The writer elects to not use flashbacks and instead chooses to have the characters’ father be a silent and looming presence in the film. While the film attempts to work around this lack of flashbacks by having the father sporadically appear as a physical manifestation, these appearances come across more as a stand-in rather than impactful inclusions. The audience knows what the villain of the film looks like but never gets an understanding of who he is.
On the one hand, this lack of flashbacks is effective in mirroring how estranged the two brothers have become from their father. However, this writing choice makes it difficult for the audience to truly understand the resentment that the brothers have towards their father. By adopting a “tell don’t show” style of writing, the audience’s perception of Raymond and Ray’s father is limited to what is told to us through exposition. It is hard for the audience to make their own judgements on the character as the film never shows us the character when he is alive.
Raymond and Ray provides an interesting commentary on the effects of grief, as well as how it influences our perception of the deceased. With a strong sense of visual style and excellent performances from its lead actors, it has some genuinely great elements to offer audiences. However, the film’s shortcomings in the script hold it back from being the impactful story that it attempts to be.
Raymond and Ray is currently playing in select theaters, and it is available to stream on AppleTV+.
Raymond and Ray provides an interesting commentary on the effects of grief, as well as how it influences our perception of the deceased.
-
GVN Rating 6
-
User Ratings (0 Votes)
0
I’m Andrew! I love discussing movies and tv shows. My favorite genres include animation, musicals, and especially Superheroes.