RAYMOND & RAY – Review

So now that October’s past the midway point many of us are getting that end-of-the-year “sense of dread” as the two major holidays loom with the pressure of reuniting with the family. Oh, I know that there are those on the “other side of the coin” who truly relish the big annual “sitdowns” (and consider yourself fortunate indeed). This film is assuredly in the former category. Oh, and it’s not set during a holiday. Rather it’s more of a family “unraveling” as the setting is the funeral of a parent. Which in turn brings together, after a long “hiatus”, two brothers from “different mothers”. And though they share a papa, they’ve got little in common despite the shared “moniker”. But to make things easier, their patriarch referred to the guys as RAYMOND & RAY.

The first one we meet is the “straight-laced” timid and a tad “up-tight” Raymond (Ewan McGregor) as he drives through a dark, dense wooded area. He finally finds his destination, a cabin off the main road. Raymond nervously knocks on the door and is greeted by his pistol-toting stepbrother Ray (Ethan Hawke). Since he’s got no phone, Raymond has surprised him just as one of his ladies has left (hence the “piece”). Raymond explains that their father Harris’ funeral is tomorrow about two hours away. Ray scoffs and has no interest in attending, but Raymond insists since he needs Ray to drive. Seems he lost his license due to a DUI but took a chance on the back roads at night to pick up Ray. Eventually, they agree to leave at dawn. On the road, the two share horror stories about their awful abusive pop. At the funeral parlor, the brothers are stunned by the “pre-arrangements” and are told by a lawyer to go to dad’s final home for items left for them. At the house, they’re greeted by Lucia (Maribel Verdu), a former lover of Harris who tended to him in his final years, which intrigues Raymond. Later at the funeral home, Ray strikes up a dialogue with his papa’s hospital nurse Kiera (Sophis Okonedo), who is resistant to his charms. Eventually, they all gather at the cemetery for a memorial service that turns into a multi-hour ordeal because of the unusual (to say the least) requests in Harris’ will, Under that setting sun many surprises come to light and family scandals and secrets are revisited.

The film’s an engaging showcase for the two lead actors and their very distinct performing styles. Slightly tweaking his American accent for a Southeastern twang, MacGregor Imbues the almost always mellow Raymond with a bit of suppressed rage. With each new family anecdote his “fuse” inches toward the long-dormant but still potent “payload. This guy’s sitting on so much that it’s not a question of whether he’ll explode, but when. And McGregor shows us Raymond’s frustration with his sibling and how it’s finely tempered by his growing lust for Lucia. Hawke infuses a “too cool for school” vibe for Ray (though his academic years are long behind him), though his “half-mast” eyes are hiding a deep loss-fueled pain. He’s had his fill of people even though he can’t resist sending off a magnetic vibe to nearly all the ladies. But that “mojo’ is deflected by Verdu who projects her own charisma as the sexy, nurturing exotic goddess (much as in her breakthrough role over 20 years ago in Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN) Lucia who exalts in her passions, offers an escape hatch to Raymond’s crushing disappointments. Also blocking Ray’s charms is Okoneido’s Kierra who recognizes Ray as a damaged soul wrapped in his aloof dude disguise. She heeds her calling to try to ease his pin, but is determined not to be one of his many casual “flings”. Also of note is Vondie Curtis-Hall as the flamboyant exuberant Reverend West who befriended the late papa in his last months.

Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia has created an engrossing look at two middle-aged men grappling with the past and each other while trying to deny the desire for the brotherhood that they each share. Although it begins with mismatched, bickering travelers trapped on a “road trip” first act, once they reach the destination the family drama opens up to take in the quirky characters that Dad had gathered during his last journey. It does seem to meander during the long final act at the gravesite, often feeling like a stage play with each mourner getting some script “business”, which leads to a hopeful conclusion with the promise of a better future and a smattering of redemption. Sure, it remains a family relationship drama, though it’s also an interesting character study worth taking in for the cast, especially the two terrific actors as RAYMOND & RAY.

3 Out of 4

RAYMOND & RAY is now playing in select theatres and streams exclusively on AppleTV+ beginning on October 21, 2022