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Average User Score: 8 (46 sources)

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konichiwa21

-1

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+ samuel jackson singing parts + lots of great music + funny references to hustle and flow + samuel jackson and christina ricci's characters have tons of depth + every part is perfect length - nothing ever drags on + tons of plots and sub-plots +...
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+ samuel jackson singing parts + lots of great music + funny references to hustle and flow + samuel jackson and christina ricci's characters have tons of depth + every part is perfect length - nothing ever drags on + tons of plots and sub-plots + really funny at parts - justin timberlake's character plays a big role in the movie and is extremly underdevoloped - really bad ending

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Posted jul 24, 2007 4:25 am pt

afq2846

-1

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The first thing you notice about this movie is the title. Its very interesting and then of course you notice the obvious lady chained up. I guess that is the high point of this movie. The basic story is Ricci plays a loose lady who Jackson picks...
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The first thing you notice about this movie is the title. Its very interesting and then of course you notice the obvious lady chained up. I guess that is the high point of this movie. The basic story is Ricci plays a loose lady who Jackson picks up on the road after she has been beaten up. He helps her to get better but then he decides to chain her up until she can loose her looseness. The acting in this movie I have to admit is pretty good but the actual movie is not very good. The idea seems to be pretty interesting but when you see it its just blah.. Nothing going on here. I really did not like this movie too much. Its interesting for a bit so its worth a rental just to see what the chain is all about.

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Posted jul 20, 2007 11:31 pm pt

Dakotagirl823

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Don't be fooled by the title. This is a great film that was the victim of bad marketing.The film is hightlighted by a strong script and perromances by Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci. The heart of this film is the relationship between...
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Don't be fooled by the title. This is a great film that was the victim of bad marketing.The film is hightlighted by a strong script and perromances by Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci. The heart of this film is the relationship between Lazarus (Jackson) a man who learns to rebuild his life after his wife walks out on him and Rae (Ricci) a young nymphomanic who struggles to come to terms with the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother's boyfriend. After Lazarus finds a badly beated Rae on the road near his farm, he takes her home and is determined to cure her of her nympho ways. The two form a friendship the shows that human connection is the best medicine for healing.

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Posted jul 4, 2007 7:37 am pt

rockin01

-1

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Can I be honest here? Part of the reason I was originally interested in this movie was to see Cristina Ricci wallowing around, nearly nude. But a funny thing happened on the way to T & A Land: This genuinely original, excellently acted and...
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Can I be honest here? Part of the reason I was originally interested in this movie was to see Cristina Ricci wallowing around, nearly nude. But a funny thing happened on the way to T & A Land: This genuinely original, excellently acted and skillfully directed movie actually touched me deeply. This is not at all what you would expect from the way this film was marketed. It is ultimately a love story, and a testament to the healing power of connectedness. Superb acting from all involved, including acting novice Justin Timberlake, and a gut-rumbling blues soundtrack complete the package. This is a delightful movie- give it a chance.

And, even if you end up not liking anything else about it, well, there is still that T & A...

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Posted jun 27, 2007 5:40 am pt

messenjah14

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Do you know who Bizarro is? It's a weird duplicate of Superman in the DC-universe. He's basically just a really bizarre character. Black Snake Moan is the Bizarro of romance movies. Now, I am not saying that this is a Lynchian movie or anything...
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Do you know who Bizarro is? It's a weird duplicate of Superman in the DC-universe. He's basically just a really bizarre character. Black Snake Moan is the Bizarro of romance movies. Now, I am not saying that this is a Lynchian movie or anything when I call it bizarre or absurd. I just mean that it's plain different from anything we've seen before, atleast anything that's been presented to the mainstream audiences. And I loved it. For one thing, Black Snake Moan sports the most groovalicious (I don't care if that isn't a word) soundtrack that I've heard in any movie this decade. I don't like blues at all, but if there's a single movie in the world that might make someone appreciate it, it would be Black Snake Moan. Speaking of which, contrary to what you might believe, the name of the movie isn't actually perverted. I think that that just came in unintentionally, the name is explained very well in the film and it makes alot of sense. It still sounds kinda pervy if you just say it, but atleast you don't mean it. The story holds itself together very well too. Ricci's character has some rather cliched charecterisation, and Jackson's farmer has very little set-up, but I think that the amount that it got was good nonetheless. I would've liked abit more, but I sure as hell ain't complaining. I loved the ending to no limit. It was one of the few endings in movie history in which you really didn't know wether it was a sad ending or a happy ending. And I mean that in a good way, it wasn't confusing, it just leaves the viewer with the option of thinking about it him/herself instead of showing what happens afterwards to create a happy or sad mood. The set-up almost seems ludicrous if you just read the plot synopsis or see the trailer. The advertising campaign for Black Snake Moan is incredibly deceptive. We are promised, by the posters and trailers, a movie that would set us back to the exploitation movies of the 70s. What we get instead is the best growth story in a long time. Is it wrong? Well, it doesn't matter since the movie is good. The technical aspects really have to be good for a movie like this to work. With a story like that, you need good execution for people to take the movie seriously. And this flick has good execution. Jackson definately tops any other performance he's made during his career, as does Ricci. That's saying quite abit since she pulled off an Oscar-worthy performance in Prozac Nation. I would even dare to say that her performance in Black Snake Moan is so daring that it deserves to be up there with Monica Bellucci from Irreversible and Isabella Rosselini from Blue Velvet. Justin Timberlake... boy. Where do I begin? I never imagined that I would have to state that a former member of NSYNC would actually be a great dramatic actor. Props go to Diaz for training him (I think). Timberlake is rather scarcely on screen, his overall screentime is probably no more than 15 minutes, but every time he's there he pulls out an extremely impressive showcase of emotions, just like he should. Brewer directs with a weird passion to what he is doing, and you can see through the film that he loved making it. He isn't a flashy director, but instead lets his talented cast do the work for him, which is a good thing in any movie that's primarily based on characters instead of the actions of the characters. But on the down-side it should be said that a few things here and there simply seemed unnecessary and rather unbelievable even in the world of the movie. Black Snake Moan still is a highly original movie that rewards it's viewer constantly by giving him/her something more to think about. And if that isn't your thing, you still will have fun with it. I sure did.

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Posted jun 13, 2007 11:48 pm pt

DarkManiaN_1979

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Very interesting roles and plot.

Fine acting all around in this film. Both Jackson and Ricci did good jobs with what they had. I've never seen any film quite like this one does. The plot takes its time here and could show a little...
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Very interesting roles and plot.

Fine acting all around in this film. Both Jackson and Ricci did good jobs with what they had. I've never seen any film quite like this one does. The plot takes its time here and could show a little more pace towards the end and some middle scenes, but others might not mind that. The music score in this film is pretty good and you'll get to see Jackson with a guitar in quite a few scenes as he plays the blues. Overall I think its worth a watch if your into drama that has some humorous parts and a little bit of old school blues. Enslavement, blues, cheatin wife and a randy young girl. Its got everything.

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Posted may 29, 2007 4:01 pm pt

fyrephlie

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I loved this movie, though I almost let it slip by.

It's a great story, it's different than most of the titles available right now. It's got a little of all the things I enjoy in a movie, including sex, violence, action, dark humor,...
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I loved this movie, though I almost let it slip by.

It's a great story, it's different than most of the titles available right now. It's got a little of all the things I enjoy in a movie, including sex, violence, action, dark humor, Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci.

This one caught me off guard, mostly because the ads and the trailers really didn't tell me much of anything about the movie. You see Samuel L. Jackson quip a bit, you see Christina Ricci chained up. And, that's it.

The film itself, though, is so much more. I will admit that I don't know how they could have advertised it differently, but it seems like they should have at least tried.

The movie is a tale about Rae (Ricci), whose history is sexual abuse turned impropriety catches up when her boyfriend (Timberlake), a panic-prone prone man who relys on her for stability, leaves for the military. Immediately, her past causes her to jaunt off on a bender of epic proportions, drinking and pill-popping until she's beaten and left for dead.

She's discovered by an aging black man, Lazarus (Jackson), a defunct blues singer in the deep south, going through marital issues with his wife (she left him after their long marriage, for his younger brother). He takes the girl into his home and takes care of her, but as he learns about her past, and she begins drunken sleep-walking fits, he chains her to the radiator (one that his former wife complained about, which becomes an interesting metaphor in and of itself). He decides that he's going to help this girl, no matter the cost.

The story can be used as a metaphor faith and infidelity, strength and love, it can be seen as a dark romantic comedy with teeth, and, it can be viewed a touching coming of age story of sorts. The point is that there's a deep and meaningful story.

It's twisted, and in the end, people don't end up just hugging and riding off into the sunset. The writing is tight, the imagery is raw and stunning, the human drama is palpable. It's worth a couple hours of your time.

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Posted mar 24, 2007 5:28 pm pt

• [+] Portland Oregonian
  
  100
  A gorgeous, life-affirming movie. On paper, it sounds lurid bordering on ridiculous.

  by M. E. Russell | Read Full Review »
• [+] Baltimore Sun
  
  91
  As a filmmaker, Brewer doesn't just yank your chain: He forges a bond with his characters and his audience that produces ecstasy and healing.

  by Michael Sragow | Read Full Review »
• [+] ReelViews
  
  88
  Ricci's performance is brave and effective - the most provocative in a career that has rejected Hollywood norms.

  by James Berardinelli | Read Full Review »
• [+] Austin Chronicle
  
  78
  The story is as humorous and raunchy as a good blues refrain, and the way Lazarus and Rae react to each other almost resembles the classic call-and-response structure of the blues.

  by Marjorie Baumgarten | Read Full Review »
• [+] Premiere
  
  75
  Perpetually wide-eyed and mega-snarly bedraggled, Christina Ricci prowls through Black Snake Moan looking like something the cat dragged in. If you're anything like me, you'll be very grateful to the cat.

  by Glenn Kenny | Read Full Review »
• [+] San Francisco Chronicle
  
  75
  Black Snake Moan' is a trip to that unfamiliar territory well worth tagging along on.

  by Ruthe Stein | Read Full Review »
• [+] TV Guide
  
  75
  It's beautifully shot -- the sweat-drenched jukejoint scenes are particularly evocative -- and features a terrific performance by Ricci, one that deserves to be seen by a wider audience than the one certain to be reeled in by those torrid ads.

  by Ken Fox | Read Full Review »
• [+] The Onion (A.V. Club)
  
  75
  Like "Hustle & Flow," Moan succeeds on languid atmosphere and the conviction of its leads. But it'd be nice if the execution matched the startling audacity of its premise.

  by Nathan Rabin | Read Full Review »
• [+] New York Post
  
  75
  Brewer, who romanticized the world of pimps and ho's in "Hustle & Flow," is obviously out to push some politically incorrect buttons with this ludicrous - yet, in the end, sweetly involving - Southern Gothic pulp yarn.

  by Lou Lumenick | Read Full Review »
• [+] Charlotte Observer
  
  75
  I knew blues music can make you feel you're not alone when your woman has gone, and rock your soul when you're on top of the world. But until I saw Black Snake Moan, I didn't know it could also cure nymphomania.

  by Lawrence Toppman | Read Full Review »
• [+] Salon.com
  
  70
  A wild and sweet little picture about sex, redemption and music, though perhaps not necessarily in that order.

  by Stephanie Zacharek | Read Full Review »
• [+] New York Magazine
  
  70
  It's outlandish, hilariously overripe, and possibly sexist: You'd expect no less from Craig Brewer, the writer and director who made the passionate case for how hard it is out there for a pimp. But I loved the picture's tabloid energy and heart.

  by David Edelstein | Read Full Review »
• [+] Miami Herald
  
  63
  It's easy to work up a good head of feminist steam over the misogyny and downright idiocy of a story that suggests that the tyranny of a righteous man can prevent an abused girl from making poor and whorish fashion choices. But it's hard to dismiss completely this atmospheric and persistently intriguing film.

  by Connie Ogle | Read Full Review »
• [+] Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  63
  A roiling, boiling mix of blaxploitation, sexploitation, Tennessee Williams and the Tennessee outback.

  by Steven Rea | Read Full Review »
• [+] Boston Globe
  
  63
  This movie is crazy, but the insanity is electric.

  by Wesley Morris | Read Full Review »