Tangerine Movie Review

Tangerine (2015)

Rent Tangerine on Amazon Video
Written by: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch
Directed by: Sean Baker
Starring:  Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian
Rated: R

Plot
A trans prostitute tears through Hollywood on Christmas Eve searching for her pimp boyfriend who cheated on her while she spent twenty eight days in jail.

Verdict
This frequently feels like a documentary, chronicling a day in the life. This isn't the type of subject you typically see, and this life is harsh. The movie can frequently be in your face and over the top, but it plays with how things appear and how they are. Concurrent story lines eventually merge, culminating in a fight at a donut shop.
It depends.

Review
The big thing about this movie was that it was shot on location in California entirely on an Apple iPhone 5S. This gives it a very indie handheld camera feel, but it never felt like it was shot on a phone. It feels like a movie.

This looks like something from the 90s, in part due to the classical music. There are some big overtures which can be in your face, but the movie itself is to a degree. It's primarily a day in the life of Syn-dee, but there are a few concurrent story lines that revolve around Syn-dee or her occupation.

This movie is different. You don't typically see a movie about trans prostitutes. Prostitutes in general aren't the protagonist unless it's a hooker with a heart of gold. Movies like that often aren't realistic.
This plays a lot with how things appear and how they actually are. Razmik is a cab driver with a family, but he's not just looking for any prostitute. Expectations aren't always fulfilled. Syn-dee's pimp boyfriend Chester cheated on her, which kicked the whole plot into motion. You wonder if Chester is going to deny she's even his girlfriend, but he doesn't.

It's easy to make the main character a spectacle, but the movie does a great job of humanizing them. It doesn't rely on just having a transgender prostitute, you see the inherent difficulties of that life, but also see people the care for her.

The stories began to converge with all of the characters ending up at a donut shop. Razmik's mother in law doesn't understand what he's into until Chester bluntly tells her. His explanation is hilarious. The argument spills into the street with some big revelations and implications.