MovieChat Forums > Shades of Ray (2008) Discussion > Hugely disappointing ending *spoilers*

Hugely disappointing ending *spoilers*


The ending to this movie makes absolutely no sense to me. The main character (who supposedly is a practicing Muslim / non-drinker) ends up choosing the smoking, bar-hopping lets-have-sex-in-the-bathroom girl OVER the successful loyal blond woman he had been in love with for years? Why? Does Sanaa really "get" him that much more than his fiancee? They met all of 4 (very brief) times in the entire movie! So they share a common Pakistani-Caucasian background? It's not like Sanaa is embracing her Pakistani heritage very much anyways!

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But the other chick did not seem to be doing much to share his heritage with her family. I think it's better for him to be with a person that understands him and gets what he's been going through. Notice that he gave up on his Pakistani identity because of what happened to him when he was younger. He was not being true with himself until he met Sanaa.

I loved the movie and the turn of events. It pissed me off that she did not say yes right off the bat.

"See the English is Stupid!" -Angel

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Sana was able to identify with him. That is something exceptionally rare amongst people. No matter where you're from, and, what your heritage is.

Noelle wasn't portrayed as evil. Perhaps the dialogue (and I assume we are thinking of the same one) may be construed as a need-to-be-bad, however, I have a different take on it.

Noelle felt betrayed, really really betrayed. She was humiliated in public because of her boyfriend's indiscretion. She wanted to attack him, in some manner or form which she assumed to make him as miserable as her (perhaps this might be pure conjecture).

In those times, many human beings (regardless of their background - personal, or, professional) choose to be primal, and, try to attack on a level, which is basal. It may be lower than that, to some. She chose to attack him on an issue which she perceived would make him just as horrible as she was. Therefore, the dialogue exposed an uglier side of humanity, which exists in everyone.

If one observes, Ray was unfazed, in the sense, he chose not to worry about it. Instead, he wanted to reassure her that she was the one for him. However, certain elements were established at the beginning of the movie which showed some inclinations and hints to an ending.

For example, her reluctance to say yes to his proposal. This was played up against Sana's willingness to pursue him and hang out with him. The distance between Ray and Noelle was established, so that the closeness between Ray and Sana could be focused on. These are simple tricks to build a storyline. Create a conflict and show the obstacles such that they are followed to a resolution. Screenwriting 101.

On a psychological level, Ray felt a connection with Sana which was based on their backgrounds. Some might construe this as prejudicial, but for arguments' sake (and a certain amount of selfishness, I suppose), this was a necessity more than a choice.

Ray never felt comfortable being mixed, as was pointed out several times in the film. He wanted to be with someone who would help him forget that, and, allow him to choose his own identity - Noelle. He saw in her what he wanted to see in himself. However, when he met Sana, he was surprised with their commonalities in ways, both expected, and, unexpected. He saw in her what he needed to see in himself. As a result, he decided to pursue what he saw as a more viable future.

Hope this makes sense. If it doesn't just ignore the post altogether. I don't know better than anyone else. Perhaps I understood this film. Perhaps I didn't. I am just typing out my own interpretation. Doesn't make it any more or any less valid than someone else's. Have a good one. =)

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As a first-generation American in an entirely South Asian family, I completely understood and agreed with Ray's final decision. It's not the bar-hopping or drinking that has anything to do with it. Sana was someone he could finally identify with. His whole life, he had to keep choosing between his Pakistani and his Caucasian backgrounds. When he chose to be Pakistani, he was ridiculed and ostracized by his other classmates. When he chose to be Caucasian, he was never fully accepted and instead taunted with questions about his accent, his religion, etc... However, as the lesser of two evils, he chose to be Caucasian, rebelling against his Pakistani half by playing it down and even Americanizing his name to "Ray".

When he meets Sana, here's someone who totally understands that inner struggle. With her, he doesn't have to choose between his two halves. With her, he can truly be the Pakistani-American, merging his two cultures. They both understand how their parents can be overbearing (to the point where arguing is useless), how they sometimes need to lie to the parents (not out of malice, but to protect their parents) and how it's a constant struggle to make their parents proud.

As much as Noelle and Ray loved each other, she would never fully be able to understand his cultural identity and that was something he spent his entire life trying to understand. With Sana, it wasn't "embracing her Pakistani heritage" that endeared her to Ray; it was that she grew up in a similar environment and culture to him and thus inherently understood his growth and challenges, as well.

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Maybe he was tired of looking at her butt ugly face.

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I understand the principle behind Ray's final decision, but just because you can identify with someone racially doesn't mean that the two of you will be perfect for one another romantically. If anything, I can see why he would break up with Noelle and just keep Sanaa around as a friend; however, I can't see him with Sanaa romantically. If the two of them don't share the same morals, I just don't see how things can work.

Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends.

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I noticed a connection between two people who happened to share similar ethnic background. If someone is supposedly in love with you and hesitates when you propose to them like Noelle did, that should tell you all you need to know about your future with them. My impression of her was one of a superficial yuppy. Distraught or not, that foul-mouthed, racist rant near the end pretty much revealed her true colors. I never got the impression that Noelle ever got him at all much less to the extent that Sanaa did. I think Ray and Sanaa's connection had more to do with the role their respective families played in their lives as opposed to race.

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How do they not have the same morals? From what I understood, Ray was ignoring the no drinking belief and everything as well. Remember, Sal points out that the ONLY thing he practices is the praying. When Ray's dad finds the bottle of alcohol, it is clear that it belongs to Ray and not Sal, and, I mean, he works in a bar...

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Ray's friend points out that the only "Muslim" thing that Ray does is avoid pork. The alcohol in the cabinet is his, he just uses his roomate as an explanation when his dad finds it.

My friend who is also Pakistani (100%) does the exact same thing. She says all the alcohol in her apartment belongs to her roomate. She says she is Muslim but again, avoiding pork is the only tenet she follows. Basically, she just has to create an illusion for her parents.

Ray knows that Sanaa will understand what his motivations are and what his experience is. I don't necessarily think that the movie spent enough time establishing their relationship though. Also, I think that he got over his feelings for the ex pretty quick, which sort of made me question his character some. Because I liked the movie overall I just explain it by saying that he had some sort of "love at first sight" intense connection with Sanaa that transcends their shared racial profile.

Happy birthday to the ground!

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Because Sana is obviously 100 time more appealing than the American blonde. Her magnetism just oozes off the screen.
The woman is beautiful and it's a great plot twist.

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Also, the blonds reaction to the bathroom scene was as dumb as a female can be and might have been the deciding factor;

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