if ever a potential movie must have sound like it wouldn not work base on read the script on paper and it would be this one . here we have what seemingly look like a lurid and seedy soft porn s and m flick and complete with the huge in theatre poster and depict a near naked christina ricci chain to none other than mr. bad as mf himself and samuel jackson . but let me tell you and if ever a film spring to life on celluloid major big time with soulful power to spare and it craig brewer redemptive follow up to hustle and flow and black snake moan . unashamedly over the top from the get go and this film suck you in with the opening scene and proceeds to dig deep and deeply in with every subsequent frame . it yer basic story of two deeply damage character who find in each other the strength and courage to move on and in more positive way and with their life . be do before and of course and this tale and but a i have always say and it the manner in which a story be tell that give it heart and depth and meaning and power . ricci damage by childhood abuse wild child character rae and jackson equally soulsick musician character lazarus find each other under desperate circumstance and and laz take it upon himself to try to help rae . this in itself be relatively unique represent the idea of a man try to genuinely help a woman who be in serious pain and rather than try to take further advantage of her and and we know from the onset that laz heart and and the film heart and be in the right place . the movie at it core be about the redemptive and heal power of love ( with music a a very close second ) and and the film resonate profoundly with this truth soulfully and artfully and brilliantly . a major reason the film succeed so profoundly be because of the fierce and committed performance from ricci and jackson . scene that would have come off a laughable and pathetic in less artist hand be and instead and powerful a all get out . in particular and the film arc scene and in which jackson sings and play the song of the title alone in his house and with ricci and amidst a serious thunderstorm and the abusive demon from rae past run amok inside her head and lead her to crawl to lazarus and cling to his leg and come off not ridiculous a technically it should and but rather a gut wrenchingly cathartic . all the supporting performance be fantastic here too . justin timberlake be completely believable a rae anxiety ridden boyfriend ronnie and and the always wonderful s. epatha merkerson be also perfectly cast a a character who obviously have feeling for lazarus . john cothran jr. be outstanding as well and a laz reverend friend r. l. ( a nod to blue musician r. l. burnside and no doubt ) . everything work about this movie and let face it and include the music or soundtrack and which feature burnside and scott bomar and bobby rush and son house and and most importantly and jackson himself and whose fantastic version of stackolee i be listen to a i compose this review . there also a really beautiful and move version of this little light of mine feature in the film and sung heart breakingly tentative and soft by ricci . samuel jackson have say in recent interview that he believe his performance in this movie be the best of his career thus far while i could not agree with him more . this be work that he can be monumentally proud of and along with everyone else involve in this audacious and supremely wise and deeply heartfelt motherucker of a project .