2007 / Craig Brewer > The “Black Snake Moan” scene is one of the most memorable this year, but aside from that, the film is a hard nut to crack. Brewer deserves notice for trying something different, but it may just be that he’s wrapped this up in something fancy as to hide the fact that there’s nothing inside at all. Surely, the story seems to unwrap that way, where by the end, nothing much has happened, but there is something almost taunting about the film that keeps you from turning away at times. Ricci is as strong as ever, Jackson is, well, himself and Timberlake, unfortunately, really drops the ball and makes me want to erase him off his scenes. Still, with Hustle & Flow and this under his belt, Brewer might be credited with a little more praise than he deserves, but thankfully his vision remains fresh and undiluted.