Black Snake Moan treads new and fascinating territory

This film proves you can’t judge a movie by its DVD cover. What looks like a sexploitation film or a horror movie is actually a character-driven drama with excellent performances by its two leads. A simple concept of one damaged person trying to help another turned on its head, “Black Snake Moan” is intense and disturbing but also moving and hopeful. While not for everyone because of its raw sexuality, the story did make a believer out of me.

Christina Ricci (“Monster”) is Rae, a young woman from the South with emotional demons that make her act on her every sexual impulse. Once her boyfriend - Justin Timberlake with a surprisingly decent performance - leaves town to join the military, she starts sleeping with the entire town. By the way she twitches and writhes from non-intimate contact, you can easily see her actions stem from a psychological problem and not from choice.

Samuel L. Jackson (“1408”) is a grizzled old former blues player named Lazarus who’s wife has walked out on him. He harbors some untapped anger and resentment that he drowns in drink. Lazarus finds Rae left for dead on the side of the road near his home and takes her in to care for her. Once he learns of her more deeply held problem, Lazarus uses a combination of imprisonment, religion and blues music to try to cure her.

Written and directed by Craig Brewer, who also made the critically acclaimed “Hustle and Flow,” this film is another formidable effort by the talented director. It has a wonderfully driving blues soundtrack that gets your foot unconsciously tapping while watching. Jackson goes outside his comfort zone in his performance of the burnt out but strongly religious man. He looks and acts old and tired here, tapping into some unexplored areas of his acting potential. Ricci throws herself - body and soul - into her role of the exploited and exploiting southern white trash. Sexually appealing at times and pathetic at others, she fully explores all aspects of this troubled character. Even Timberlake proves he can act, but he puts in an understated performance as a man with his own problems.

Beneath the chains, the blues and the sexuality is a story about characters seeking redemption and change. “Black Snake Moan” took the harder path of trying to fix its characters rather than allowing them to self-destruct. In this film, you can see there is hope for everyone, no matter how troubled and lost you may be.

By taking a recognizable story and telling it in a non-traditional way, “Black Snake Moan” treads new and fascinating territory.

Rated R for strong sexual content, language, some violence and drug use.