Directed and written by: Rodrigo Garcia
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Ethan Hawke, Maribel Verdu, Sophie Okonedo, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Todd Louiso
Runtime: 105 minutes
‘Raymond & Ray’: This modest, everyday tale is memorable for the wrong reason
“A dysfunctional family is any family with more than one person in it.” – Mary Karr, poet
Ms. Karr is correct. Every family – including mine - has its share of dysfunction. It’s just a matter of degree. Not even the British Royals can escape the reach of imperfect human nature.
In “Raymond & Ray”, director/writer Rodrigo Garcia explores a specific event of an ordinary clan in Middle America, but this particular domestic unit lugs – like a weight of 10,000 tons - more than its share of dissension.
What is the said event? Benjamin Reed Harris III’s funeral.
For this everyday circumstance, Garcia recruits two extraordinary actors to play the late Mr. Harris’ sons. Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke are Raymond and Ray, respectively, and when you think about it – which this critic didn’t, but the movie points it out – they share the same name.
Ray is short for Raymond.
Raymond and Ray are half-brothers who grew up together with a mentally and physically abusive father, and the surviving siblings are estranged from their dad. It’s been years since they’ve spoken to him. Perhaps decades.
Well, the old man passed away, so the boys (grown men in their 40s or 50s) travel a couple of hours by car to pay their respects, even though they didn’t respect their father while he was alive.
Respect? They didn’t like him. Raymond and Ray hated him.
Garcia’s film is partially a road-trip movie, but the brothers arrive at their destination, the funeral, by the second act. Here, R & R have to face the past, their demons, the chief antagonist of their lives. Since Benjamin cast a long, dark shadow on their emotional makeup, the fellas carry their share of faulty wiring.
With a straightforward premise, Garcia tries to fill the 105-minute runtime with eccentricities and vibrant supporting personalities played by distinguished thespians who are also familiar faces. Unfortunately, the movie has an unrelated problem – and it’s a biggie - but let’s first address the quirks and strong supporting characters.
The chief oddity will not be revealed in this review because this worthwhile twist establishes the happenings for most of the second and third acts. Sorry.
Meanwhile, the guys meet two intriguing women who knew their pop, but the ladies had different experiences, optimistic ones. Lucia (Maribel Verdu), a grounded single mom, lived with Benjamin for a healthy period, and she offers Raymond and Ray hospitality while they sort out their feelings and some of their dad’s affairs. She gives a temporary landing spot of stability, and Lucia is a warm, secure presence during just about every on-screen minute. Kiera (Sophie Okonedo) has similar vibes. She was Benjamin’s nurse, but in the here and now, Kiera mainly interacts with Ray. He’s a ladies’ man, but she bears the scars from broken relationships. Kiera proceeds with caution, but there’s potential for a meeting of the minds between this professional caretaker and aging playboy.
Vondie Curtis-Hall and Todd Louiso round out the recognizable cast as a wise reverend and an introverted caretaker, respectively. In fact, Canfield (Louiso) could be Louiso’s noteworthy record store employee from “High Fidelity” (2000), if Dick (Louiso) changed careers to the funeral business after the music industry’s downturn.
The script includes a couple more surprises, but “Raymond & Ray” isn’t a riotous comedy. It’s a dramedy but with more drama than laughs.
More than anything, Garcia’s film is a curiosity, one with an abundance of talented actors encompassing a minimalist – but formal - affair where intense, authentic resentment no longer connects with a living host but with a ghost.
While Verdu, Okonedo, Curtis-Hall, and Louiso offer lively performances to energize the downtrodden narrative, the paramount problem with “Raymond & Ray” is that the lead characters aren’t terribly believable. Sure, the damage they drag around is on display, but their actions sometimes careen from way out in left field. The said moments – like a few brief, brotherly tussles - seem forced. Raymond also engages in a completely uninhabited act that – on paper – might resonate as cathartic, humorous, and a bit bizarre; however, the aforementioned event feels ugly and inappropriate. Also, the two leads are aloof and distant during a critical reunion when they should be welcoming and accommodating.
In other words, Raymond and Ray don’t behave authentically in some key spots. Unfortunately, these moments failed to suspend (my) disbelief and initiated emotional distance between this critic and the big screen. Dysfunctional characters can propagate defective deeds, but when you reach middle age, another “d” word should win the day when under duress: decorum. Ironically, this modest tale needed more. “Raymond & Ray” is not a bad film, but it’s memorable for the wrong reason.
Jeff’s ranking
2/4 stars
