Black Snake Moan [DVD] [2006]

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• This item: Black Snake Moan [DVD] [2006] DVD ~ Samuel L. Jackson

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• Alpha Dog [DVD] [2007] DVD ~ Sharon Stone

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Amazon.co.uk Review
The lurid scenario--a nymphomaniacal white trash nymphet (Christina Ricci) is held prisoner by a bitter bluesman (Samuel L. Jackson)--gives way to an affecting tale of redemption in Black Snake Moan, writer/director Craig Brewer's follow-up to the acclaimed Hustle & Flow. Lazarus (Jackson, Jungle Fever, Pulp Fiction) finds Rae (Ricci, Monster, The Ice Storm) beaten unconscious on the road in front of his backwoods house. After bringing her inside, he learns of her wanton ways and decides to exorcise his own demons by curing Rae of her sexual compulsion. Black Snake Moan could have been terrible, but Brewer takes his story seriously enough to dig into the genuine emotions of such a situation (though along the way he certainly flirts with sexploitation overtones--several scenes look like they were plucked straight out of a hitherto unknown 1970s trash classic). Ricci, Jackson, and the supporting cast (including pop star Justin Timberlake, giving a surprisingly good performance as Rae's boyfriend) treat the characters with respect, honesty, and humour. The result is off-kilter and maybe a little too fond of its sleazy cinematic forbears to truly hit the emotional notes it's after, but Black Snake Moan has considerably more substance than its marketing would suggest. --Bret Fetzer

Synopsis
Director Craig Brewer follows up his unexpectedly well-received pimp drama, HUSTLE AND FLOW, with this stylish tale of the unlikely connections that are forged when a lost soul attempts to cure a young nymphomaniac of her wicked ways. Set deep down south in a small Tennessee town, the film is titled after and largely driven by the force of blues music. Pulsating with colour and bold cinematography, the story forms a visual counterpart to a blues ballad. When divorced ex-musician Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) finds Rae (Christina Ricci) badly beaten by the side of the road, he brings her to his house and chains her to his radiator. Rae has been a wreck since her boyfriend (Justin Timberlake) went off to war, and has spent her time getting into fights and being taken advantage of by just about every man in town. Rae appears to be afflicted with a physical need for sex that no one can cure. As Lazarus watches Rae twitching with pain on his couch, he sees that the young woman’s only chance at redemption is in his hands. While the premise is outlandish, and the film opens itself up for much moral criticism, BLACK SNAKE MOAN has its merits. Deliciously colourful, the film aches with rhythm and dances visually with its subjects. Whether fetishising Christina Ricci’s emaciated body, or making Samuel L. Jackson look years older than he is in real life, the cameras do their job well. Both Ricci and Jackson offer strong performances that mark turning points in their careers. BLACK SNAKE MOAN seems less concerned with how it will be judged than with embodying the sexuality and passion of blues music. No matter how many viewers the film may offend, it succeeds in creating a world that vibrates with desire and raw energy.

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11 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:  (7) 3 star:  (3) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 3.8 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   15 of 16 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Good Character Study Drama, 14 Jun 2007 By  TomBeTom "TE-M" (Nottinghamshire, England) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)       "Black Snake Moan", much like the recent "Bridge to Terabithia", is one of the many victims of a misleading advertising campaign. The movie has been marketed as some sort of depraved sex story akin to a teenager's wet dream. However, "Black Snake Moan" is not such an exploitative motion picture as posters and trailers might suggest. Instead it's a story about two people who form a close bond by whatever means, discovering equality and understanding between each other even as they continue to make questionable decisions the other might not like. More a character study than a sleazy teen boob-movie, "Black Snake Moan" is instead a deeper, more meaningful movie that's more valuable than the movie it has been marketed as. Much different to previous roles in "Snakes on a Plane" and "Cursed" respectively, Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci take on the parts of lead characters Lazarus and Rae. Lazarus' marriage to his younger wife has recently collapsed, thus causing the god-fearing man to exclude friends and family as his embarassment over his unceremonious split tears him apart. When a battered nymphomaniac named Rae turns up unconscious on the road outside his house, Lazarus carries her inside and begins giving her medicine and water until she regains her health. During her delusional waking instances (each lasting only a few minutes) it becomes clear to Lazarus that Rae is a sex-addicted soul that he believes needs healing of her 'wickedness'. Rae awakes to find herself chained to the radiator, with Lazarus refusing to release her until she is cured. Bizarrely enough, it is these developments that eventually lead to the two forming a mutual understanding and a sympathetic relationship that both have longed for. Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson are front-and-centre in almost every scene, and the movie is reliant on their two respective performances because of this. Thankfully, though, the two actors are talented enough to carry the movie and share an artistic chemistry that lends strength to proceedings even as their awkward relationship appears more and more dysfunctional. Justin Timberlake is seen only for a few scenes throughout and receives nowhere near the amount of character work and emotional depth attributed to his in-movie girlfriend Rae and Lazarus. Timberlake plays Rae's armybound boyfriend, unaware that his girlfriend's nymphomania is raging the very moment he fights abroad. Timberlake isn't spectacular, and apparently doesn't feel like trying out a southern accent. Elsewhere, S. Epatha Merkerson is a likeable presence as Angela, a kind-hearted pharmacist who helps out Lazarus with his medicines. "Black Snake Moan" is a good film that can only aspire to be a great one. The characters are well-rounded and built upon enough to make the audience empathize with them and understand some of the decisions and mistakes they make resultantly. The characterization, however, doesn't benefit from several unnecessary plot devices -- including Timberlake's character, Angela the pharmacist, and several others. Were "Black Snake Moan" more content with maintaining focus upon the two main characters (sort of like "Hard Candy" did) as opposed to getting sidetracked at seemingly random moments, the movie would certainly have been more an enjoyable movie. There's no doubt, at least, that Jackson and Ricci are capable of achieving something along those lines. Early indications may lead viewers to believe that "Black Snake Moan" is going to be emphatic too much on religion. However, such is not the case, with religion solely being used as a method of adding to Lazarus' character and explaining his motives for what he does throughout. So cynics don't have to be fearful of any sort of religious-based dialogue other than on a few occasions where christianity is referenced and used as a means of offering hope to Rae and Lazarus respectively. Overall, "Black Snake Moan" is unspectacular and isn't likely to retain a place in one's long-term memory. It isn't memorable enough to be announced as something great nor is it poignant enough to be a superior emotional picture. As is, "Black Snake Moan" is passable entertainment, unique in style and storytelling so much that I'd still recommend seeing it. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   5 of 5 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Creative restraint builds tension, 7 April 2008 By  x-bout reviews (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews A few people I discussed this film with thought it didn't go far enough, but that's precisely why I enjoyed it. Every character is developed to a point on their line of obsession where they could go further, and this means that you never know what they will do. Did Gill with his rage and ferocity kill Rae? Will Lazarus try to maintain his isolation of Rae at all costs? Will he kill? When Ronnie suppresses his aversion to violence, beats Gill and takes a gun, has he really crossed the line? Will he kill? When Lazarus drinks and unchains Rae, will he lose his self-control? All these questions keep the plot bubbling, and set within the racial history of the South of the US, the screw turns further still. Most modern films just go for extremes to create huge contrasts, specially formulated for a tick box world where everything is good or bad (as in nursery rhymes), red pill or blue pill, black or white; all the characters on Black Snake Moan on the other hand are flawed, making them as haunting as a good blues riff. A thoroughly enjoyable film; Samuel L. Jackson is utterly convincing - right down to his guitar playing and Ricci is a revelation (especially for me, having not seen her since the Addams Family and Caspar). Recommended highly - watch it with liquor for the blues. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   5 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars "I'm cookin' steaks fah dinnah. I expect you to stay.", , 16 Aug 2007 By  Jenny J.J.I. "A New Yorker" (That Lives in Northern Nevada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    Director Craig Brewer loves the south and I'm 2 for 2 for loving his films. If this film were made in the late sixties, it would be an unabashed cult classic that we'd be boasting of for decades. Samuel L. Jackson delivers another solid performance complete w/ gritty guitar-playing. Christina Ricci delivers a well-acted performance, although she can be a bit annoying at times. I'm gaining even more respect for Justin Timberlake since the SNL skit and after seeing his performance in this movie, things have never looked better for him. Some of the scenes w/o Sammy can drag, but the movie's themes balance it out and make for an enjoyable time for all. I don't know how Sammy stumbled on the snake theme, but it's definitely working for him. Also, David Banner is in this movie .. his first starting role pretty much suites him. He'd done his character naturally to the point he didn't have to act. I'm curious to see how far this rapper might go. The lighting, cinematography, music, film editing, and direction are absolutely stellar. The character development is so deep that you feel you actually understand them in their messed-up, crazy actions, and because of it nothing seems too far-fetched or out of the ordinary, even when it is. The movie presents itself to be about sex, but it is about far more than that. It is about loss, redemption, determination, and overcoming the mere physical pleasures in life to understand the deeper meaning of love. It is a film about music. While watching this, I found myself lost in the poetry of the old blues lyrics. By understanding the art of blues, the audience is able to more fully comprehend what this film is about. Much like 'Hustle and Flow' tried to explain what Hip-Hop meant to it's hard-core "real" fans, 'Black Snake Moan' shows how the free-style, yet structured world of blues can act as the guiding light to those lost in the realm of physical pleasure. Blues is playing what you feel, but never straying from the main form that got you there. In the movie, the camera might stray from the norm of what we're used to seeing, but it never completely loses us. The editing, lighting, and direction is freestyle, but not in an Oliver Stone 'freakishly annoying' kind of way. The blues is what leads to the final understanding between the two main characters. Music offers the understanding, redemption, and calmness through loss. This one is definitely not for everyone, as you might guess from the drugs, cursing, boozing, wild sex, assault, kidnapping, bondage, nearly naked people, frequent underwear moments, blues club dance moves and an overabundance of fringe religious bellowing. If you are a bit twisted, you will definitely see the humorous and campy moments and please don't take any of it too seriously. It is just a step up from Mr. Jackson's sub par "Snakes on a Plane" ... but the music is much better (except for the singing). Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 11 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Deep What a deep yet fantastic film. Christina Ricci, Samuel L Jackson and Justin Timberlake did great playing these parts! Published 1 month ago by L. Horan 3.0 out of 5 stars Melodrama gives way to something rather sweeter What could have been a sticky slab of Southern melodrama is uplifted by the touching, occasionally comic story of the growing friendship between a young nymphomanic and an aging... Read more Published 1 month ago by Mr. C. Horner 4.0 out of 5 stars An oddly affecting character piece This could so easily have been awful. The marketing dwelt solely on the sleazy aspect of the film and images of Ricci in her pants but there is a good deal more going on. Read more Published 15 months ago by Doc 3.0 out of 5 stars Okay film, great soundtrack Samuel L Jackson's performance is great, there are some entertaining scenes but on the whole I thought it was an average film. Read more Published 16 months ago by Camilla Lea 4.0 out of 5 stars exorcises demons using the Blues Samuel L Jackson chains harlot Christina Ricci to his radiator and exorcises her demons using the Blues. Excellent. Published 17 months ago by Alister King 4.0 out of 5 stars Great music and Sam L Ok so this may be predictable but that realy is being hyper critical. Solid acting, Sam L cool as ever and an all round good film, I urge you not to take note of any review... Read more Published 19 months ago by C. J. P 4.0 out of 5 stars interesting and different Despite it's outset, this has a great character pshycology to it, despite all the dark tones and slightly odd story that goes with it. Read more Published 20 months ago by Scarlett 4.0 out of 5 stars Far better than I expected First things first. The soundtrack is spectacular and almost worth watching the film for. Yes, you could just buy the soundtrack but the music deserves to be heard behind the down... Read more Published 21 months ago by D. Payne Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 11 customer reviews...

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