No Country For Old Men  | |
| The Darjeeling Limited | |
| Sicko | |
| Spider-Man 3 | |
| Manufacturing Dissent | |
| The Number 23 | |
| Letters From Iwo Jima | |
| Factory Girl | |
 | Black Snake Moan |
| PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER |
Black Snake Moan Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci and Justin Timberlake Directed by Craig Brewer Reviewed by Michelle Reindal  What do you get when you combine a lovesick nympho; a broken-hearted, God-fearing black man; the dirty, dirty South; and (Samuel L. Jackson singing) the blues? Black Snake Moan. A surprisingly well-sculpted story of love and redemption, this film is truly satisfying in all of its raunchy glory.Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow), excels at staying true to the Southern Sexploitation theme, and that’s why Black Snake Moan is so engaging. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and at the same time there’s a moral buried beneath sex-soiled rubble. Rae (Christina Ricci) can’t keep her coochie under control. Her high-school sweetheart, Ronnie (a mildly convincing Justin Timberlake) reluctantly takes off for the military, and she’s left with no outlet for releasing her nymphomania antics. But not for long; with the small town being aware of her open-leg policy, it takes her no time at all to get laid –leaving Ronnie’s (debatably loyal) best friend writhing with anger. Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) can’t escape his plight as a scorned lover. His wife leaves him, and he drinks himself into oblivion and sings the blues as a nightly ritual… …Until one hung-over morning, when God throws a brutally beaten, sexually-addicted, wheezing cough infested, Rae, into his path. He vows to cure her of her sex-addled ways by chaining her up to a radiator and preaching some sense into her. The two conjure a wildly unique relationship, while each cures the other of their oddly endearing problems. With the exception of whiny, high-pitch voiced Justin Timberlake, the portrayal of these strangely tenacious characters is wonderfully executed. Although Christina Ricci regularly plays characters with an overly high tolerance for sex, this performance isn’t as shallow as the others. This character’s Southern roots run deep into an abusive back-story, which allows Ricci to showcase her dynamic acting ability, even in a borderline satirical role. Samuel L. Jackson is badass, as always. The clincher for this one though, is that he is not only a badass, he’s a badass who can sing the blues. He and Ricci make a fantastic and unlikely pair, just like the characters they play. Gripe: the ending is the only unsatisfying piece of this movie, as it seems too schmaltzy and a bit unfitting with the rest of the “in-your-face” scenes. But this by no means tarnishes the remaining rapturous pieces. This film will not be received well by people who don’t believe in remote scenarios. The key is to keep an open-mind, and don’t forget that steamy sex scenes and Ricci’s tits are abundantly on display – at least that might get you to the theater. The incredible performances, cleverly achieved story, and pure cohesiveness of it all, will keep you there. |  |
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