The Blues is Powerful

Rating: 8/10 (3 March 2007)

Lazarus's(Sam Jackson) wife just left him for his younger brother. He's been left to his little house out in the southern country wallowing in lonely bitterness. Rae's(Christina Ricci) boyfriend(Justin Timberlake) and love of her life just went off for a stint in the National Guard leaving her alone. The problem is that sometimes she gets these crazy, emotional and physical urges to pretty much make it with whoever is nearest. Basically she's a nymphomaniac and the town whore. Of course one night this gets her into trouble leaving her laying half-naked on a dirt road, beaten bloody. Sam Jackson finds her there and brings her to his house. Originally he just wants to only help her - don't ask why he just doesn't call the authorities - but soon it becomes his mission to save her in another way, which is to rid her of the beast inside her and get her to respect herself. So with a bible in one hand and the chain he's put around her waist in the other, he begins the task of setting her right.
One thing this movie had that I didn't expect so much was power. The scenes were wonderfully crafted to evoke as much emotion as possible. A help to this was the great musical sound of the blues. Just a guitar and a voice that pound their way into your brain.
We all know that Samuel L. Jackson is basically some sort of God sent to earth to better it with his greatness. The man is a great actor and he plays it absolutely perfectly. I couldn't think of a single other actor who would have fit so well as he. Christina Ricci did an equally amazing job. She's become known for throwing herself headlong into projects and giving it everything she has. She becomes this little souther town tramp with zero respect for herself or her body, which is half nude throughout most of the movie. Even when she's put on clothes to go to a party. Justin Timberlake actually did a pretty good job, though i'm sure someone out there could have done better. To be fair, he mostly had about two emotions to convey and those were rage and panic from the severe anxiety attacks he suffers.
Warning: you do see some sex scenes and Ricci's bare breasts a number of times. This movie has much to do with sexuality and it goes completely hand in had with the blues.
In the end this movie is about coping with heartbreak, healing, and being with someone you truly love. I know. It sounds wussy, but as Son House says in the beginning of the film, "Ain't but one kind of Blues and that consists between male and female that's in love."
By the way, Son House also says "Sometimes that kind of blues will make you even kill one another. . ."
Get ready for an emotion-ridden blue fueled ride. I hope you have some blues music handy for afterward when all you want to do is immerse yourself in it.