Review: Tangerine

Few films shine a light on the subculture of America that is the primary focus of Tangerine. The film rides on the sheer excitement of being thrown into the culture of transgender street workers. The film's two leads and the refreshingly non-judgemental treatment of their lives completely outweighs the film's technical shortcomings.

The plot is slight but authentic in many ways. It’s Christmas Eve in Los Angeles, and transgender prostitute Sin-Dee, has just finished a month long stretch in jail to find that her lover and pimp has been cheating on her. She is told this by her best friend Alexandra, a sublime Mya Taylor. In fact both Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriquez as Sin-Dee are revelations here. Without them, the film would be comically routine and plain. The side story involving Razmik, an Armenian cabbie who loves Sin-Dee, is about as cliche as a Lifetime movie.

When director Sean Baker focuses on the two women and their friendship, the film is captivating. A surge of raw energy, like a live wire, lives in these scenes. It is a shame whenever the film pulls away from them.

Still, Tangerine is a day in LA you have not experienced before. For that it deserves mad respect and is well worth your attention. Baker sets his sights on a life film rarely looks at and when he stays focused, the film is a knockout blast.

3.5/5