Great

Rating: Null/10 (27 February 2008)

Black Snake Moan (2006)
**** (out of 4)
A washed up bluesman (Samuel L. Jackson) finds a broken and beaten town trash (Christina Ricci) on the side of the road and chains her up in hope that he can cure her of her sins. Writer and director Craig Brewer caught my attention a couple years back with the brilliant Hustle and Flow, which I picked for the best film of the year and he's back again with another settle yet very powerful film. It's rather amazing to what such a young director take a simple story and do wonders with it but Brewer is proving himself to be one of the best talents up there. On a technical level he can do more with a lower budget than most directors can do with ninety-million. The visual style of this film hits all the right notes with the beautiful heat and passion of the South crashing through the screen creating such an atmosphere that you can feel the sun beating down on you. The way Brewer frames the shots or simply moves the camera helps tell the story so well even when nothing much is happening on the screen. Ricci gives the best performance I've seen from her as the white trash with a load of problems but the real standout here is Jackson who finally shows up that when he's not playing the bad mother that he can act. Jackson has become rather boring the last several years by just playing the cool and tough guy that I had forgotten how great he can be when he tries. He also did quite well when it comes time to sing the blues. Justin Timberlake also turns in fine work, which after this and Alpha Dog shows he can act. The film takes its time in delivering the story but it leads to a very emotional, powerful yet quiet ending, which the director pulls off without having to preach or beat the viewer over the head.