Can a troubled old black man and a disturbed young white woman help save each other from themselves? Probably not but Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) and Ray (Christina Ricci) give it a hell of a shot in “Black Snake Moan”.

In this flick you get to see Justin Timberlake cry like a bitch, (Oh! Sorry, like a caring, sensitive man). You get to see Christina Ricci run around in next to nothing 75% of her onscreen time, not to mention the gratuitous tit shots. You even get to hear Samuel L. Jackson sing the blues and (gasp!) say “mother fuck” a few times! Who couldn’t love a movie that could give you all of that? Me.

Ricci plays Ray, the town slut who seems to have a serious case of nymphomania. If she goes one hour without getting laid she looks like a crack whore in need of a fix. After her boyfriend Ronnie, (Timberlake) the anxiety ridden National Guardsman, selfishly runs off to war against her wishes, she sets out for a night of drugs and nasty sex with random guys. What better way to mend a broken heart right? Lazarus, (Jackson) whose wife of twelve years just left him for his own brother, finds Ray unceremoniously dumped on the side of the road beaten, unconscious and half naked. After bringing Ray to his home he finds out about her solicitous past and decides to take it upon himself to cure her of her “wicked ways” using a rather large chain and a small dose of tough love.

The actors themselves did a really good job with what they had. Ricci, however scantily clad, made you feel sorry for the emotionally disturbed Ray and made you wish things could really end up differently for her. Jackson had you rooting for him to make her better and fix himself in the process. Not to mention he gets you into the groove with some fine blues music. Timberlake played the sensitive, emotionally overwrought guy to the hilt.


However, the believability of an old man doing what he did to some young woman, no matter how sick she was is just not there. He would have been put away and viewed as a kidnapper and a dirty old man for the rest of his days. Not taking anything away from Craig Brewer’s directing ability, which was good; the writing left me a little cold. The plot line was thin with the only thing beefing it up being the nudity and a couple of harsh sex scenes. Not really enough for me.


Moral of the story: Love, (sob) really CAN conquer all! (Whatever.)

Peace and love,
M