Not bad...but over-rated

Rating: 4/10 (21 August 2007)

I am of the opinion that Black Snake Moan is 80% of a truly great movie. If the writer/director had taken the time to really develop the characters I would have enjoyed the movie a lot more. As it is, I feel like I was force-fed tired, 2-dimensional, stereotypes with some quirks that MIGHT be interesting, if they were ever properly introduced. I think Ricci and Jackson did admirable jobs, all things considered.
And that's the part that really kills me. It's not so much that the script was empty...or the characters 2-dimensional. They were obviously intense characters...but the audience is offered only the tiniest glimpse of their depth. The movie hints at characters and stories...without telling much of either. I found that wholly disappointing.