Black Snake Moan (2007)

Dir. Craig Brewer
Premiered March 2, 2007

Black Snake Moan was one of those movies I'd heard of but knew next to nothing about. What little marketing material I'd seen suggested that it was some kind of A-list exploitation film. At the same time, the few remarks I'd heard from friends who'd seen it were positive, and not in a "so bad it's good" way. Both assumptions were kind of right.
In what appears to be rural Mississippi, Christina Ricci plays certifiable sex addict Rae. When her boyfriend and implied safety mechanism (Justin Timberlake) is sent off to war, Rae returns to her old habits and is ultimately brutalized and left for dead by Timberlake's horrible friend (Michael Raymond-James). She's discovered by Lazarus Redd (Samuel L. Jackson), a recently divorced farmer and erstwhile blues musician who attempts to nurse her back to health, going so far as to keep her in chains top stop her from running into the woods in a feverish delirium. Over time, they form a kind of agreement as they try to overcome their past demons and regrets.
Liking this movie feels wrong, though I struggle to say how exactly. It's surely pushing some buttons, and was definitely misleadingly advertised to appeal to the lowest common denominator. But it's heavy with atmosphere and character. You get a real sense of place, and it's not a place you see much in film, definitely not in the present day. It's a great-looking movie, well-acted, and with terrific music. I'm not going to recommend it outright, but if it sounds interesting to you, it's worth a look.

Additional Notes:

• Sign this was made in 2007: Practically nothing. The Iraq War factors into the plot but is only alluded to in the dialogue. You could've set it during World War II and have changed almost nothing.
• I think because blues music is old-fashioned, we tend to overlook its overt sexuality. Not here. I like that.
• Guest-hosting on Ebert and Roeper, director Kevin Smith called Black Snake Moan "the best movie of [2007] so far." Considering everything I've reviewed up to this point, one might agree. But see, there was this other movie that came out that same weekend...
  
  ...and it's my all-time favorite film.