Black Snake Moan

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake, S. Epatha Merkerson
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2006

Times Seen:
Tim: 1


Summary: After being beaten and left for dead, a white nymphomaniac (Christina Ricci) is held prisoner by an African-American musician (Samuel L. Jackson) who is determined to cure her of her ills.

Review:

Tim: This is a weird movie. While it has flashes of almost-brilliance, as a whole, the movie is pretty disappointing. The film has a very strange premise. Once you get over that, you will discover something impressive: this movie isn't as terrible as it had every right to be. Make no mistake, this isn't a good movie. However, it is not quite as awful as expected. This is due in large part to mostly strong performances from the cast, and that the entire film is taken very, very seriously.

Samuel L. Jackson has been in some awful movies. This one is bad, but he gives a good performance in it. He's deathly serious about the performance, and you can tell he put some serious effort in. Christina Ricci is almost deceptive in her role. It comes across on screen as almost effortless, but the role was not an easy one, and she handles it beautifully. Justin Timberlake never felt right to me in the film. He's one of the weakest parts of the movie, and the scenes with him are among the film's worst.

What I like about this movie is that it really tries to tell a powerful story about an older man and a younger woman, and the strange circumstances under which they become "friends." For a few moments throughout the film, you might believe it is actually building to some terrific conclusion. The movie, sadly, fizzles out into almost nothing. The movie's conclusion is completely forgettable. The film has a few emotional moments, but mostly, the absurd premise and the ridiculous events of the film prevent us from becoming emotionally involved.

Black Snake Moan's good scenes are overshadowed by its flawed ones, and as a whole, the movie is less than it needed to be. I was fairly disappointed.


Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Snakes on a Plane, Southland Tales, Freedomland