craig brewer be now officially a writer or director for whom i will see any film by and no matter how bad it may look . his debut and hustle and flow and be one of my favorite from that year and with it emotionally charge storyline and realistic and fallible character . i wasn not quite sure what i would end up think after see this sophomore effort . the cast seem great and the trailer use music effectively and however and it seem like there be a good chance it would cross into absurdity and and fast . fortunately and black snake moan hit all it mark dead on . the acting be astonish and the writing superb and and the editing style and as well a juxtapose music and rivet the whole way . brewer seem to be a master at get his character to have the right mix of both compassion and malice a they set forward on their path toward redemption . the first moment i know i be in for a treat be during the abbreviate credit sequence at the beginning . like he do with hustle and flow and brewer lay the music over the widescreen shot perfectly with simply titled font come up statically . the 70 aesthetic be welcome and help show that this would be another great character piece in the vain of those from that decade of some of cinema best . from here we continue on with the short snippet into the life of both lazarus and rae and each vignette mirror the other while they journey to the fateful moment their path finally cross . the edit between them be fluid and relevant rather than abruptly cut before the scene felt finish with it purpose . rae boyfriend leaf for duty in the service and laz wife leave him for his brother . each feel the loneliness and reverts to what they know in that situationrae to sex and laz to the bottle . only when rae be leave for dead at the side of the road and her savior come from his farm to take her in do the reason for their action finally start to become clear . samuel l. jackson be fantastic a the old bluesman farmer try to reconcile his life with god and that of the flesh and the pain it have bring him . there be the moment of stoic sternness as well a those of kindheartedness with his captive or patient . you never really look at the setup a comical or unrealistic because he sell what he be do so well . also and the character of rae be not chain up for very long and despite what the trailer would have you believe . the situation start a bit awkward until we see that the chaining be for her own good and be actually use for only a day or two . a for that chain girl and christina ricci really shine . i never really saw her a anything special and but this role be a true breakthrough for her . this girl be so troubled that her past sexual abuse have scar her very deep down . any time she be away from her love she start see flash of the man who take her childhood innocence away and itch to be touch by any man available to let the image go away . her nymphomania be not for pleasure and but rather for survival from the haunting nightmare always hide behind her eyelid . ricci fully inhabit the role and show all the emotional trauma to great effect and realism . mention must also be make of justin timberlake and again show some real acting talent . where this guy come from i have no clue and but hopefully he will continue take more film and steer away from the mostly crap music he churn out . while not a solid and consistent a hustle and flow and moan still rank equally to it and in my mind and because when it be on and it be spectacular . towards the end we have a truly enthralling sequence with this little light of mine sing out and and early and the interaction between captive and captor and when the chain be first introduce and show some top notch work . the truly magical moment and though and be when jackson sings ( yes that be him throughout and like it be terrence howard in hustle ) the titular song while a thunderstorm roar and the light flicker . if i do not see a more beautifully shot sequence all year and i would not be surprise . what these two people do for each other be wonderful and show what humanity be capable of . one thing i think i really enjoy with brewer work be the fact that he doesn not show sinner become redeem hero . instead he show u that no matter how bad you have be and or how bad life have be and everyone can strive for redemption and to be good people . we do not have saint here and but fallible people look to right their ship . if the course stay true or if it fall back into darkness and no one really know and but at least they can say that they try as hard a they could .