I've only seen two of Craig Brewer's movie, but he is well on his way to becoming one of my favorite writer/directors.
"Hustle and Flow" was amazing, and now he's topped himself with "Black Snake Moan."
Lazarus or Laz (Samuel L. Jackson) is a farmer/musician whose younger wife has just left him. For the first time in a long time he goes on a drinking binge and assaults his brother.
Rae (Christina Ricci) is a nymphomaniac (who was sexually abused as a child) whose boyfriend Ronnie (Justin Timberlake) has just left for a tour of duty with the National Guard.
When Laz wakes up with a hangover he finds what he thinks is a body in the road, until she moves. Rae had been dumped for dead by Ronnie's best friend.
Laz gets medicine from a friendly pharmacist Angela (S. Epatha Merkerson) for Rae's cough and fever and bandages the wounds he can. When Rae starts wandering into the fields in her fever, he chains her to the radiator. As he tries to fine out who she is he discovers she has a reputation for promiscuity. He decides that he can help her change her ways, mostly by keeping her in his house and making her face her demons.
Their relationship moves from anger and resentment to loving friendship and an interesting take on the old redemption drama. Laz picks up his guitar again (Jackson is a fine musician with a beautiful voice) and Rae starts to pick up the pieces of her life. No one is redeemed, but everyone is going in the right direction.
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