For anyone who is a fan of Midcentury Modern design or just design in general, this movie is a must see. I finally got the chance to watch it yesterday, and it was an incredible glimpse into the duo of Charles & Ray, the studio they ran and the many projects they worked on.
One important thing this film does, is point out how often Ray was overlooked while Charles was seen as the Eames design genius. But we learn that Ray played an incredible part in the work they did — from her understanding of color to the many notes/ideas she saved (many of which were written down on cigarette paper wrappers).
One of the things I found to be the most charming and adorable was a small clip in the Special Features about Ray’s driving. Apparently Charles would not ride with her because she was a terrible driver — always looking at shadows, the color of buildings, flowers, anything but focusing on the road. One of the design student interns that was interviewed throughout the film also mentioned that no one knew how old Ray was and rather than carry her license with her, she would carry a Xeroxed copy of it with the birthdate whited out. A true lady!
(A letter from Charles to Ray asking for her hand in marriage.)
