crazy stuff going on in that heat

Rating: Null/10 (13 October 2007)

When I first heard about this movie, I have to be honest, I was turned off by not so much the concept as the trashy promo art related to the film. Still, I went ahead and watched it, and I'm glad I did. You may already know that the movie is about a girl, out of control and headed for major disaster, who ends up chained up inside a black man's house in the heart of the deep south. That's an interesting premise, but how does she get to that point?
Rae, played by Christina Ricci, is a mess, with a sex addiction, no self respect, and lots of nasty emotions swirling inside her head. Still, she manages to hold it together as long as her boyfriend Ronnie is around. But, when Ronnie is shipped out for military duty, the one person who was able to prevent her from going completely off the rails is gone, and she immediately loses control. Things come to a head for her one night when she is attacked by a "friend". She winds up lying on a country road, unconscious, and is discovered there by Lazarus, played by Samuel Jackson.
The movie takes a fascinating turn from there, with that ginormous chain having as big a role as any of the actors. It's like a living thing, slithering across the screen, and represents the one thing that's keeping Rae from destroying herself. I personally am quite impressed with the fact that tiny little Christina Ricci insisted on wearing a real, 40 pound chain around her waist, instead of the lightweight version suggested by the producers. She kicked ass in this movie, and Samuel L. Jackson did what he always does: owned the role he was playing and acted the hell out of every scene without breaking a sweat.
Justin Timberlake has the supporting role as Rae's boyfriend Ronnie, who has his own demons to fight. He's not great here (he's a singer, not an actor), but the acting is serviceable enough, and he's pulled through by the more capable cast members. S. Epatha Merkerson shines in her understated portrayal of a pharmacist friend of Lazarus', with her sweet, acapella version of Balm in Gilead being a highlight of the film in my opinion.
If you go into this film expecting a trashy exploitation film, you're going to be surprised. It's so much better than I had expected, and even though I have to admit the ending was perhaps just a tad corny, I still loved it up until the credits rolled.