They shoulda been contenders - 2008

Samuel L. Jackson in "Black Snake Moan"

Best actor

Too many critics dismissed this offbeat gem as a sleazy exploitation flick just because Jackson plays a deeply religious Southern bluesman who chains a skinny little panty-and-T-shirt-clad nymphomaniac (Christina Ricci) to his radiator to cure her of her "wickedness." OK, so that sounds pretty shady, but both the film and Jackson's work are surprisingly tender. It's his best role since he collaborated with another filmmaker who turned exploitation on its head: Quentin Tarantino. —G.B.