Raymond & Ray follows two long-estranged brothers who must come to terms with their past when a family tragedy brings them together, and makes them question everything they thought they knew.
Raymond & Ray
Rodrigo García (director and writer), Igor Jadue-Lillo (cinematography), Michael Ruscio (editor)
Ethan Hawke, Ewan McGregor, Maribel Verdú, Tom Bower, Vondie Curtis Hall, Sophie Okonedo (cast)
September 12, 2022 (TIFF)
Content warning: child abuse
Neither Raymond (Ewan McGregor) nor Ray (Ethan Hawke) have seen their father in years, but Raymond is certain that burying the man will bring them some peace. Raymond is determined to find a way to forgive his father but Ray is just looking for closure. Though their goals diverge, the brothers need to join forces if they hope to get through this final goodbye unscathed.
A darkly comic drama that thrives on gallows humour, Raymond & Ray is also an exercise in attempting to understand the human condition. It starts off as a very cynical film, like an anti-family story. The father, who both men insist on referring to by his last name, Harris, was awful to Raymond and Ray in their childhood and beyond; his treatment left them traumatized. While Raymond tries to excuse the man’s behaviour, Ray is having none of it. Whatever difficulties Harris may have had, it would have been better if he hadn’t been in their lives at all than being there as such a destructive force.
But Raymond & Ray also shows that people can grow and change. In his later life, Harris built intense bonds with people who have nothing but the fondest memories of him. Their words of condolence to Raymond and Ray sound hollow until the brothers realise that people actually mean it. They really are sorry that Harris is gone.
But that’s the thing about people. We’re different with different people, as writer-director Rodrigo García (Albert Nobbs, Last Days in the Desert) said during the post-film Q&A. Though Harris was great with friends and family, the harm done to Raymond and Ray will never go away.
A massive part of the reason Raymond & Ray works is because of the chemistry between McGregor and Hawke. It’s so organic and easy, you can believe they’re brothers bonded by their trauma as much as by blood.
There’s some really funny dialogue that both actors deliver in this natural, almost monotone, fashion that’s absolutely perfect for this type of family drama. It also shows the bond they have, that they immediately understand each other’s context despite not seeing each other in years.
In the introduction to Raymond & Ray, and in the Q&A later, much was made about McGregor and Hawke coming off of franchise work to do an intimate film like this. That line of thinking doesn’t do justice to the actors. Both have worked in a wide variety of productions, from indie to big budget properties. In fact, I was surprised to learn at the Q&A that Hawke only had three days between the end of shooting for Moon Knight and the start of production on this film. His presence, the way he holds himself, the way he walks, it’s completely different. That’s solid acting.
McGregor’s Raymond is the reserved brother, forcing himself to look on the bright side but also quick to anger if pushed too hard. But what I love about his performance is when Raymond has a moment alone and lets himself live in his emotions. There’s something about the way McGregor does crying scenes that gets me. This isn’t the over-the-top howling he did early in his career, a la Moulin Rouge. He’s way more realistic now and it honestly makes me tear up watching him.
I wish I could be as effusive about the female characters in Raymond & Ray but they are little more than manic pixie dream girls. Neither Maribel Verdú’s Lucía nor Sophie Okonedo’s Kiera have much of an inner life beyond their relationships to Harris and his sons. Lucía also seemed to fell into the spicy Latina trope. I also wish Kiera had a bit more to do other than just being a possible romantic foil for Ray.
It’s actually the final 15 or so minutes that let the female characters down. I’d say after the funeral is done and dusted, Raymond & Ray fell away a bit. The story tries to wrap up some romantic subplots that didn’t really need any more time onscreen. Had the story remained contained within the trio, the two sons and their father, it would have been neater.
During the Q&A, it was mentioned that Raymond & Ray was shot during the pandemic and while there aren’t many characters, it doesn’t feel like there were any constraints. In fact, it makes the film feel more intimate and personal. It’s a family story and the film focuses on the people in Harris’ life. That’s all that matters to the story.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Raymond & Ray but I really enjoyed it until the last few minutes. The characters were interesting, the dynamic between the brothers was believable, and the plot was intimate and engaging. If only the female characters didn’t fall into tropes, I would have liked it even more.
