Don't be put off by the long running time on this illuminating biopic about the life of Ray Charles. I never looked at my watch once. I had not known much about him going into the cinema, but felt I knew a whole lot more coming out, and sometimes films can be tremendously rewarding simply when they're like that. Ray has been 15 years in the making and it's been a labour of love for director Taylor Hackford (The Devil's Advocate, An Officer And A Gentleman).

Born in 1930 into a poor community in Georgia and looked after by his mother (Shelley Warren), it's easy to feel sympathy for a boy going blind at the age of seven. Ray witnesses a horrendous family accident and, with the onset of glaucoma, a traumatic incident brings about a greater, deeper tragedy that is heartrendingly sad.

The film follows the rise of a musical genius through early beginnings, the search for a good manager, facing up to racial prejudice and coping with his disability, as well as the temptations of success - in Charles's case, women and drugs, as the Beverley Hills lifestyle puts pressure on his marriage.

As in The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers, you get to realise that those with genius often possess a mean streak that is extenuated by fame to the detriment of those closest to them.

All the while, you are balancing this against the delights of the musical classics, such as Hit The Road Jack, Georgia On My Mind and I Can't Stop Loving You, and witnessing Charles's collaborations with the likes of Quincy Jones and Ray Robinson.

Hackford directs with a great deal of affection, a good story made all the more significant by the fact that it's true. The film identifies the challenges that lie ahead for Ray and, with seamless flashbacks and careful editing, takes you through his childhood and picks out the salient points of his life. Perhaps, you don't need to hear quite so many songs and yet it feels strange to watch a two-and-a-half-hour movie and still find you've only covered half a life.