Director: Sean Baker
Written by: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch
Starring: Mya Taylor, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, James Ransone, Karren Karagulian and Mickey O’Hagan
There were some big runaway smashes in 2015, but nothing got the film world talking like Sean Baker’s Tangerine. Talks about revolutionary use of iPhones and real life comedy were all the rage on film blogs everywhere, even as film festival season passed. So what exactly made this the most talked about film in 2015?
Tangerine follows transgendered sex worker Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) as she is released from jail following a 28-day prison sentence. When she meets with her friend Alexander (Mya Taylor), she reveals that Sin-Dee’s boyfriend and pimp Chester has been having an affair with a cis gender prostitute called Dinah. Sin-Dee goes on a voyage round the city to try and find her, while Alexander tries to get some trade and people to head to her musical performance in the evening.
The film is electric from the opening credits, throwing us head first into the action of the fast paced action of Hollywood life. Real Hollywood is pretty much one big hustle, and Baker’s use of location alongside fast cutting makes it authentic. The use of colour saturation also plays a pivotal part with the film’s story, representing the course of the day when it trickles into the night time. As the film reaches the night part, we see the atmosphere change, the saturation effects go and the action becomes slow paced. It is a whirlwind of a film, pieced together to bring us our modern day revenge saga.
One of these pieces that fit to make the film perfect is our leads. Rodriquez and Taylor had never acted before they were scouted for Tangerine, but they knew the characters of Sin Dee and Alexander well. The fact that they had experience of what these characters had been through helps bring a certain confidence yet vulnerability that other actresses could not have bought to the table. The actresses bounce off each other perfectly too, Rodriquez as Sin-Dee bringing hell while donning shorts and a back pack while soft spoken Alexander brings calmness to the fast paced moments.
But the word revolutionary has been thrown around for Tangerine a few times, and it really is. It is not down to its use of mobile phone technology (because to be honest, you only have to look at local Raindance festivals to see people making movies on their phones) it is down to the fact we have a story about members of the LGBT community where their sexuality is not driving the storyline. There is no inkling of angst or regret as to who they are as people and goddamn, that is revolutionary alone. We had reached a point over the last couple of years where LGBT film and TV had motivation from being in the closest, and when they do eventually come out their fates are sealed dramatically. Not here. These characters hit some crap along the way but they are still there at the end, ready to fight another day. Hopefully other people will take note, because it is a breath of absolute fresh air.
Tangerine is the ultimate modern revenge dramedy. It takes troupes of movies old and merges them to create a smash that generations will be talking about. In the days of movie reboots and Hollywood blockbusters, we would take Tangerine ANY day.
Tangerine is available to buy on DVD from 28 March – Pre-order now.
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