Black Snake Moan

Yeah buddy! Now this is what I am talking about! I have been looking for a movie that would feature Christina Ricci as a nymphomaniac but Monster and, uh, Casper let me down in that department. Leave it to Craig Brewer to find a way to make my dreams come true. Thank you Hustle & Flow man … you sick sick Hustle & Flow man. Wait a second ... he pulled it off without making it so dirty it was laughable! That in and of itself leads to a recommendation.

This makes two in a row for Craig Brewer. He is fast becoming a director who I will anticipate his next movie from the moment I read about it. Coming off something as surprising as Hustle & Flow you would expect either a disappointment or something safe, Black Snake Moan is neither. Once again we get an unconventional story that borderlines on offensive. Well let’s say soars past the borderline in a rocket ship. Then again I never worry about being offended. The success can be traced to two reasons. First Brewer knows how to shoot the south. Just like how Hustle & Flow exuded a heat wave, this time around the story takes place in some backwater village that I believe exists somewhere in a red state. He also found maybe the best possible people to play the main characters, Sam Jack and Christina Ricci. Sam is always versatile, whether or not the movie is worth is skill is another matter for another time, so you could bank on him delivering as the broken down blues-man. On the other hand the amount of talented actresses who would cavort around for nearly the entire movie in just her panties and either topless or for all intents and purposes topless could not have been numerous. Thankfully Christina stepped up and stripped down. Not only can she pull off running around in an outfit that consists of white panties and football shoulder pads, she is able to play the scenes where Sam tries to cure her nymphomania as believable instead of, well, how you say, oh yeah, pornographic. I also want to throw out a couple of quick mentions to the preacher played by John Cothran Jr. and dead seriously the convincing work done by Justin Timberlake. Shut up, he brought sexy back; what have you done? All of the performances definitely deserve to be applauded. I also must give points for the nice odd ending. It may not have been a perfect movie but it delivered for me.

So it goes like this, if you are just too damn puritan and stuck up to deal with the fact that three of the prominent characters are Christina Ricci’s breasts and panties then move on, if not see the movie. Actually see it fast because it will be disappearing from theaters within a couple of weeks. Sadly it was just a bit exploitative for the bulk of the movie-going public. Never cared for the majority myself. Well I liked Black Snake Moan and I hope it finds an audience somewhere.

8 out of 10