Shades of Ray

Shades of Ray is an outstanding film. Extremely well written and directed; and the acting by all the performers was top notch. It was very funny and at the same time it gave us the "warm fuzzies" all over.

Although there is a definite ethnic slant, this movie could have been about any first generation immigrants trying to find there way in America. In many ways it also portrays typical family values of Americans across the country.

This film is a breath of fresh air compared to the gratuitously violent and sophomoric films that Hollywood has foisted on us for all too long.

We want to see many more films written and directed by Jaffar Mahmood. He is a great, young talent.

Of all the films I saw at the Austin Film Festival, Shades of Ray impressed me the most. The film is a superb blend of comedy and drama that is both endearing and hilarious. Zachary Levi, known largely for playing the lead in the recent T.V. hit Chuck, stars as Ray Rehman, an aspiring actor who works as a bartender in the evenings to support himself. After Ray's girlfriend remains indecisive towards a recent proposal, Ray's dad shows up at his front door and suddenly Ray has to deal with a rift between his mother and father. To further complicate things, a new girl appears in Ray's life who he feels a deep connection to. The girl shares his ethnicity (1/2 Caucasian, 1/2 Pakistani) and causes him to question his relationship with his current girlfriend. Ultimately, the movie is a great exploration into love and identity. Levi does an excellent job with the character. He is both moving and convincing (interesting since Levi is not of any Pakastani or South Asian decent). Fran Kranz also plays a memorable role as Ray's spastic roommate Sal. It seemed like every time he appeared on screen the audience was laughing. But perhaps most impressive is that Shades of Ray is writer/director Jaffar Mahmood's first full length film to direct. With the incredible pacing and overall flow of the movie it seemed like it had been done by a long-time veteran director. I really look forward to what Mahmood puts out next. I would highly recommend Shades of Ray to anybody.

First and foremost, I was fortunate enough to view this film at the South Asian Film Festival in NYC. I came into this movie with the assumption that the story and plot would revolve around a half-Pakistani and half-Caucasian character who had troubles getting by in everyday American life. To my pleasant surprise, Jaffar's movie proved to put that assumption to shame, as he successfully dove deep into the inner workings of American society, family life, and love, for everyone who has ever struggled, and not just South Asians. From the very beginning of the movie, with an opening sequence that had the entire audience practically in hysterics, to a heart piercing and emotionally empathetic scene further into the film, Jaffar takes the term "Romantic Comedy" to an entirely new echelon. The character developments starting at the beginning of the movie and continually throughout, present such a connection between them and the audience. Zachary Levi couldn't have done a more stellar job at being absolutely hilarious and then sensitively heartfelt when need be. Brian George delivered every single line with a touch of laughter and love, and Sarah Shahi was not only beautiful, but made it impossible for the audience not to feel attached. Jaffar hand-picked this wonderful cast of actors to exemplify the amazing characters that he created. Overall, with the terms "independent" and "major" aside, this film was nothing short of genius. Jaffar has truly created a masterpiece, and I feel fortunate to have viewed it. I truly hope that he lands a distribution deals with the majors, so that the entire world can get a chance to experience Shades of Ray.

I saw the world premiere of this movie at the Austin Film Festival. It was a great movie. The balance of comedy and drama was perfect. It was also cool that the cast and director were at the screening, they were a lot of fun. The star, Zach Levi, did a great job and had a flawless performance. The fact that he's "Chuck" and that he knew that my wolverines shirt was from Red Dawn didn't hurt either. The whole cast had great chemistry and seemed to have a great time making it. Ray's dad, played by Brian George, was one of my favorites. Jaffar, the director, made sure to let us know that this character was pretty much a carbon copy of his father, which made me a little jealous. Fran Kranz was the constant source of comedy, and never disappointed. He told me how surprised he was by how he seemed to lose and gain weight every other scene, which was funny and amazing since it only took 19 days to film. Sarah Shahi was the perfect choice for Ray's surprise love interest. Not sure how anyone couldn't fall in love with her. The movie needs to get picked up and out in theaters soon. Go see it if you get the chance.

This is an excellent "feel good" movie filled with great humor. The cast includes many up and coming actors such as Zachary Levi from Chuck and Sarah Shahi from Life. Zachary Levi puts forth an excellent comedic and heartfelt performance. All of the leads in the film have a rare connection that is hard to find in most romantic comedies.

The director Jaffar Mahmood was able to intertwine South Asian culture with western culture and made it easy for each viewer to relate to. This film is truly a breath of fresh air during a time period where most South Asian/Middle Eastern films are about war and suffering.

I highly recommend this film for viewers looking for a good romantic comedy!