Rijndri Load of rubbish!!

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

anhedonia It's truly a shame that a charming little romantic-comedy such as "Shades of Ray" does not get a distribution deal, but rubbish rom-coms - "Made of Honor" (2008), "What Happens in Vegas" (2008), "My Best Friend's Girl" (2008) and "My Life In Ruins" (2009) - do.Writer-director Jaffar Mahmood is playing well within the conventions of the genre. But what makes his film work is that he doesn't rely on stock characters. Even when he has a stock character or two - such as the protagonist's controlling father, Javaid Rehman (Brian George), or the wacky roommate, Sal Garfinkle (Fran Kranz) - Mahmood tweaks their personalities just enough that they seem fresher than they otherwise might be.I realize there are no Renée Zellwegers, Ashton Kutchers or Cameron Diazes in this film to make it sell to a wider audience. But the lack of such actors is what makes this film all the more appealing.Films about southeast Asian families and the vagaries of growing up in one are terribly rare and Mahmood should be commended for taking a whack at the subject matter.Despite tackling issues such as parental control, tradition, familial obligations and love, Mahmood makes his film work because his characters seem new and rather unconventional, even though many of them are just that.The film is helped immensely by terrific performances all around. I have not seen the TV series, "Chuck," so I was unfamiliar with Zachary Levi as an actor. He makes Ray Rehman an entirely believable person, even managing to bring a sense pathos to a rather funny audition scene.Kathy Baker and George are terrific as Ray's parents. Baker, especially, gives her role such substance that she takes a minor bit and makes it much more than that. And, finally, it's wonderful to see the lovely Sarah Shahi given a role with some meat and bones on it. I have seen two other films recently in which she was never used to her full potential - "AmericanEast" (2007), in which she has a superfluous role, and "Crossing Over" (2009), in which she was purely window-dressing. In "Shades of Ray," Shahi gets a juicy role that allows her to be alluring, lovable and provocative. She has a sensational scene in a bar where she turns into a playful vixen that is thoroughly enticing.One character who feels short-changed is Noel Wilson (Bonnie Somerville). In fairness to Mahmood, he resists the temptation to turn her into a bad person, though, given the trappings of the genre, in one scene, he gives her dialogue that seems completely out of character."Shades of Ray" does not turn the romantic-comedy genre on its head or anything of that ilk. It's a pleasant diversion and explores a side of American society rarely seen in Hollywood movies. It's most definitely a far cry better and more enjoyable than the romantic comedies Hollywood studios chuck out by the dozen.

walterguitar I just got back from the Tufts premiere and I have to say I'm speechless. The storyline is beautiful crafted and the mix of romance and comedy is nothing short of perfect. It might seem like another romantic comedy on the surface but Shades of Ray truly is exploring new territory here in subtle nuances of what it means to be bi-racial in a relationship and the struggle to find a comfort zone between your two halfs. But what struck me the most is the director's masterful ability to easily switch between these complicated emotions and keep you laughing all the while. Zachary Levi's comedic timing is reminiscent of early John Cusack and the gorgeous and extremely talented Sarah Shahi ability to tell the whole story with just a glance is simply amazing. A must watch.

snarimba I saw this film at the Lone Star Film Festival in Texas-- it was absolutely wonderful. The cast was great and the chemistry between Sarah and Zach was just heart-throbbing. Sarah is in NBC Life and she stole the show-- her acting is just dynamic. From seeing her act in Life as a Los Angeles police officer, to a half Pakistani/half American woman is just amazing. You see two completely different sides of acting with Sarah Shahi and it's just amazing. Zach is in Chuck, and his character just makes you think and appreciate the hardships everyone goes though. I waited in line for an hour and a half to get seated and the theater was jam-pack sold out. This was just an absolutely wonderful romantic comedy. After the screening, there was a question/answer session with the writer/director Jaffar Mahmood, and he just truly told the audience how it was. He made you feel the heart and soul in his production. Half way through the question/answer session, actress Sarah Shahi called and they put her on speaker phone and a microphone so everyone could hear her-- she thanked the audience for attending, and spoke about how great the cast and crew were and how much energy, devotion and love was put into creating this film, I don't know who could hold a higher respect than Sarah and the rest of the cast; even Sarah's family came into town to screen the film. I cannot wait to watch it again in the movie theaters!! Great job, guys! This is definitely a wonderful and beautiful movie, both in realms of color in the cinematography, the editing, the music, the humor and love. Great movie, above all. Watch out Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks... you've got competition with "Shades of Ray." There was a lot of hype with this film, and that hype will continue to grow. Shades of Ray is just truly heartfelt and original.

criticguy I saw this movie at the Austin film festival and have wanted to post a comment for some time. Shades of Ray follows a half-Pakistani, half-white mid-20s struggling actor as he finds himself and grapples with his ethnic identity. The movie is funny and feels extremely relevant now that America is preparing for its first multi-ethnic president, himself an author of a best-selling book about ethnic identity struggles. The beauty of this film, however, is that the comedy will appeal to everyone and Ray's search for who he is transcends ethnicity.Zach Levi (best known for NBC's "Chuck") is awesome as Ray. His comedic timing and chemistry with Sarah Shahi (CBS' "Life") make the movie. Also excelling were Brian George as Ray's father and Fran Kranz (upcoming in FOX's "Dollhouse") as Ray's best friend.Perhaps most impressive, Jaffar Mahmood, the director, was at the filming and said this film was made for only $600,000. Despite that budget, it never feels like style was compromised for cost. Shades of Ray stands up to big-budget romantic comedies and blows them away. If you are a fan of the genre, find a way to see this movie!