“Black Snake Moan” – Sweet is probably not the word you would expect to use in describing a film about an aging black man who chains a young white woman to a radiator to cure her of her demons. In the rural South, of all places. But sweet is what “Black Snake Moan” ultimately, unexpectedly becomes. This is a movie that’s definitely going to make people angry. Many will view it as racist, misogynistic or both – or just plain hard to watch. It doesn’t exactly shy away from being pulpy or over-the-top. But if you can just accept the metaphor, and that’s what writer-director Craig Brewer intends the chain to be, you’ll find an ingenious depiction of the fundamental concept of redemption. Love lost and found, faith lost and found – Brewer takes these tried-and-true themes and breathes bold, fresh life into them. As in his last film, 2005’s “Hustle & Flow,” he shows a keen ability to evoke a thick, rich mood, but this time he’s gotten better at developing his characters. There’s more nuance here, more humanity. Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci form a friendship that’s complicated, strange, often funny, but in the end balanced and very warm. Justin Timberlake and S. Epatha Merkerson co-star. R for strong sexual content, language, some violence and drug use. 116 min. Three stars out of four.

– Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic