Black Snake Moan is director Craig Brewer's follow up to the wildly entertaining pimp-turned-rapper underdog tale Hustle and Flow. If his latest flick suggests anything, it's that Brewer is a sky's-the-limit talent.

In Black Snake Moan, Samuel L. Jackson plays Lazarus, a God fearing southerner and one time blues man who must adjust to life after separating from his wife. Christina Ricci is Rae, a fiery young gal who must cope with a life of solitude after her boyfriend Ronnie (played by Justin Timberlake) eschews his many southern comforts, so that he might run off and fight for his country. Alone and afraid, Rae quickly develops a fever of sorts. Actually, it isn't really a fever at all but rather an uncontrollable, sexual appetite. Rae's ravenous libido leads her down the wrong road with the wrong individual and she winds up beaten and left for dead on a dirt road, but God is on her side. The aptly named Lazarus finds and resuscitates wrong-way Rae and sets about nursing her back to health.

Lazarus soon discovers, however, that while Rae is grateful for the tune-up she's by no means ready for the cure that Lazurus had in mind, thus the old man must resort to some rather extreme measures to rehabilitate the promiscuous charge - call it tough love.

Hustle and Flow was a great movie, but it's plot was a somewhat familiar one. Essentially, that film was a pimped out version of Rocky. Through a great soundtrack, Brewer's solid direction, and a compelling turn by Terrence Howard, Hustle and Flow made the familiar, fresh and inspiring.

Black Snake Moan is also a great movie, but it establishes Brewer as an exciting film maker as unpredictable as he is gifted. With a fusion of comedy, romance, drama, exploitation, musical, and southern mysticism, this flick emerges as a true American original. I don't recall every seeing anything quite like it.

Black Snake Moan will, no doubt stir up a bit of controversy, and the abrasive sexual content is apt to offend some, but I enjoyed the film's edginess. Furthermore, this flick is really funny and Brewer's love and feel for the south is once again demonstrated in a most remarkable effort. As was the case with Hustle and Flow, there's something defining about the tone of Black Snake Moan. Brewer confidently captures the sights and sounds of the south with a confidence not unlike Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese's intamacy with New York City.

The performances are outstanding. Jackson has never been better. This is his strongest work since Pulp Fiction. Not only does he expose that trademark manic/angry side, but he also shows a kind of sweetness at the center that we don't often get with the actor. The flirtation that develops between he and a local pharmacist (wonderfully played by S. Epatha Merkerson) is incredibly charming. Ricci soars in the strongest work of her career. It would be easy to simply dismiss her turn as a one-note Aphrodite, but Ricci digs deep and brings complexity to this role. She's so much more than just a sexually charged temptress - if you'll pardon the pun, her turn is exceptionally well fleshed out. She's uninhibited both physically and emotionally, and by the end of the film you'll have a better understanding as to whos's hiding behind the licentious facade. Popster Justin Timberlake is also impressive as a torn young man who must decide whether or not to stay with the woman he loves or fight in a war he doesn't understand. Timberlake shows a surprising amount of range and this will be the movie that will get him taken seriously as an actor.

Of course, Craig Brewer is the real star of Black Snake Moan. He's found a way to marry an odd assortment of genres and shape them into a big ball of cinematic energy. I really can't wait to see this film again, not to mention what he comes up with next.