Movie Review: Black Snake Moan

Yeah, what he said. Look, maybe it's not an eleven per say, but it was pretty damn good. I loved it on a lot of different levels, maybe not on the same levels as Fighting Nun, what with the Hot Christina Ricci sex scenes being the main draw for him, but I still loved it nonetheless.
First of all, it's visually interesting. Say what you want to say about the movie, but Ricci chain writhing on a couch was really cool to look at, for reasons I can't explain. (Consequently Chain Writhing? My new all-girl goth-metal band name). The whole film I thought was visually beautiful and kind of stunning. Also beautiful and stunning? The soundtrack. I mean, I don't know about the actual soundtrack in actual stores, but if it has the song for which the movie was named, I want it. I want eeet bad. The music was hot and perfect. Loved it. Soundtrack in my grubby little hands now!!! Go-Go Gadget Soundtrack. Really.

It's not that I don't get what critics hate about this movie. I do. At some points it is easy to see that Jackson and Ricci are playing charicitures and not full characters. And just as suddenly, the movie changes course and it shows me something else I wasn't expecting. And yeah, Justin Timberlake was an odd choice as love interest. There were certain moments where I could tell the director went "O.k., give me anxious and nervous" and Timberlake answered back with an expression that said "constipated" or the director went "O.k., give me angry as hell" and Timberlake came back with full fledged bitch face. But yet I give him a pass because the movie just worked some how, either in spite of him or because of him I'm not so sure.

And it's not that I don't get the demoralization argument either. It's hard to let some of Rae's actions slide in the film. I get that, but for a film to truly demoralize women, it would have to demoralize all of them and S. Epatha Merkerson played Angela with such texture and grace even with such a small role like that that I don't see the demoralization at all.

Two interesting side notes that I feel is worth mentioning. First; am I the only one who thinks that "Rae" would be the easiest Goodwill attained Halloween costume ever? A trip to the salvation army for a bad confederate flag shirt and some cut-offs, followed by a trip to the hardware store for some chain, make sure you've got the white panties on underneath. Done. Easiest costume ever!!! It doesn't even require a bra!!!

Secondly, Shortly before we went to see the movie, Fighting Nun came up with this theory that Samuel L. Jackson's character is actually what happened to Jules when he went on the path of the straight and narrow. I laughed it off all, "Ha Ha, Jules plays the blues and ties white women up to his radiator Ha Ha." But after seeing the movie, I can't help but make those comparison. There's that moment where he's looking down at the bible reading and then he looks up at Ricci and I thought to myself "I'm trying Ringo. I'm trying real hard to be the Shepherd." and then later in the movie, Fighting Nun leaned over all "It's the blues guitar that says "Bad ass MotherF****er" and I had trouble containing my giggles. We haven't had that much fun with tangential movie related humor since that time we saw LoTR: RoTK in theaters. You know that scene when Sam is on the Mountain and looks at Frodo and is all "I can't carry the burden for you, but I can carry you," That is the exact scene where Fighting Nun leaned over and whispered "Rudy, Rudy, Rudy." I realize that's a really pivotal scene, but I get the giggles every time. Every Damn Time because Fighting Nun made that joke.

So yeah. Black Snake Moan. I loved it. And I'd see it again. In theatres. Which I might do anyway because Driver's License wants to go see it, and Fighting Nun has absolutely no qualms about slapping down the 10 bucks per ticket to see it again. I told you his Ricci obsession was far reaching.