Black Snake Moan

"Black Snake Moan" is so good it will convince you that maybe, theoretically, there could be a situation in which chaining up a woman to a radiator against her will wouldn't necessarily be wrong and in fact might be the right thing to do. If that sounds hard to swallow, it is, but I bet you’re only thinking that because you have not seen this movie. Just accept that this is more of a fairy tale than an actual realistic story (and if you can accept any number of science fiction and fantasy films, is that really too much to ask?) you'll be able to enjoy all of the little things that make the movie work. We have two central characters. The first is Lazarus Redd (Samuel L. Jackson), a blues guitarist living on his own in the southern United States who stumbles upon a lost soul passed out on the side of the road: Rae Doole (Christina Ricci) As he attempts to nurse her back to health, he discovers that she is a sex addict and that her promiscuity and drug use are ruining her life. In an attempt to get her to purge her system, Lazarus decides that he needs to keep an eye on her at all times and keep her away from temptation by chaining her to his radiator. She’s given enough slack to walk around but not to get away and indulge in her bad habits.

This is a film that is very peculiar, but it’s like a blues song, where individually the notes on a single instrument might not work and the lyrics, as jumbled as they are might not make any sense but together it’s magic. The soundtrack is excellent, really selling you on the power of blues music and showing the therapeutic power that song can have on people. The performances by all of the cast members are great, with Justin Timberlake delivering a surprising performance that, along with “Alpha Dog” shows why he became one of the more successful singer/actors. There is some great chemistry between all of the players on screen. Despite the fantastical and decidedly southern folklore tone of the story, the film feels like it’s grounded in reality because it creates realistic characters with hopes, dreams and their share of emotional baggage. It shows how sometimes even if two people individually are a complete mess together they just work. There's a lot of good drama and some big laughs in the movie too, just enough to make it feel real and to ensure the whole experience isn't a total downer.

I hope I’m somewhat conveying why it is that this film, which on paper sounds absolutely nuts is like lightning in a bottle. Some of the content is bizarre and even disturbing but maybe that’s why it’s so good; I don’t know how else to describe it except that it’s got that southern gothic magic blues ritual songwriter singer kind of thing. “Black Snake Moan” is a powerhouse of a movie that you are sure never to forget. Seek this one out for sure, even if you’re not sold by my praises, you will get why this movie gets me so excited once you’ve witnessed it for yourself. (On DVD, February 1, 2013)