Monday, March 7, 2016

Tangerine


Directed by Sean S. Baker.

2015. Rated R, 88 minutes.
Cast:
Kitana "Kiki" Rodriguez
Mya Taylor
Karren Karagulian
James Ransone
Mickey O'Hagan
Alla Tumanian
Clu Gulager
Ana Foxx
Chelcie Lynn

Sin-Dee (Rodriguez) is a pre-op transgender woman just home from twenty-eight days in prison. She’s hanging out with her friend Alexandra (Taylor) before reuniting with her boyfriend/pimp Chester (Ransone). Unfortunately, Alexandra drops some bad news on Sin-Dee. While Sin-Dee was away, Chester has been cheating on her with another woman. The only thing known about this woman is that she is white and her name starts with the letter D. Sin-Dee then goes on a mad dash around town in search of Chester and/or the mystery girl. Alexandra tags along for a while, but eventually goes her separate way in an effort to drum up interest for a singing gig she has later that evening. Finally, there’s Raz (Karagulian), the cabbie with whom the girls occasionally interact. We follow his exploits as he works a little, and cruises for transgender prostitutes a lot.

Set over the course of a single day, Tangerine is a film in which three stories start within close proximity of one another, go off in wildly different directions, and work their way back toward each other. The process is less forced than it is in many other films that use intersecting stories because it’s clear from the beginning that these are people who know each other and travel in the same circles. It only makes sense that they would cross paths from time to time and be looking for one another either out of concern, or to fulfill their own desires.

Fulfilling desires is what this film is all about. The people involved go all out to get what they want. There is a certain level of selfishness involved in the actions of all three of our main characters. As the film progresses, however, we see these actions largely come from what seems to be a lifelong deprivation of things they need. On the surface, they seem like frivolous wants. Through the events of the day, and without much at all in the way of exposition on the matter, we can tell that it’s much more than that. In the cases of Sin-Dee and Alexandra, its basic, if overzealous, attempts at filling a void each can sense, but might not be able to articulate. This is what makes them both human and keeps Sin-Dee’s actions from feeling cartoonish. Raz comes off a lot more selfish. His actions feel far greedier than the others. While he is also attempting to fill a void, he comes across as more unsavory. He doesn’t quite rise to the level of being a villain, but he’s not looked upon favorably by the audience nor the film itself.

What makes all three characters work are the performances that breathe life into them. As Sin-Dee, Kitana “Kiki” Rodriguez dominates the film with a big, showy performance. She’s loud, brash, and chews scenery like nobody’s business. It’s a role that plays to stereotypes, but manages to subvert them by injecting them with the type of genuine pain that fuels her erratic and irrational behavior. The issue is that she ranges so far out there she occasionally feels cartoonish. Since she’s amped up to eleven practically from the start, she can be a bit much to take. Mya Taylor is much more subdued in her portrayal of Alexandra. While Rodriguez’s Sin-Dee has a string of uncontrollable outbursts, Taylor’s Alexandra often internalizes and reflects before acting. This quieter approach is actually more impactful. It allows us to also internalize rather than involuntarily reacting the way we do with Sin-Dee. When she is hurting, we don’t just see it, we feel it.


The work of Rodriguez and Taylor looms so large they overshadow the performance of Karren Karagulian as Raz. Another reason for this is that it’s debatable whether or not his character’s storyline needs to be here. Some have said it does not because it could be removed and what eventually happens between Sin-Dee and Alexandra would be unchanged. We would arrive at the same point regardless of his involvement. I agree with that when we’re discussing how the film’s story advances. However, a film is allowed to be more than its overriding plot. Therefore, I would counter that argument with Raz’s story. It has a plot all its own that doesn’t detract from the main. It also has as much to say about fulfilling desires as the other film. It possibly has even more on its mind due to the fact that what Raz does more directly affects a greater number of people. Karagulian’s work in the role is perfect in the way he makes Raz so detestable. He is as slimy as they come with no redeeming qualities. We feel unclean just watching him.

The look of the film is also a great aid in pulling us into it. There is a starkness and grittiness applied to this slice of Los Angeles that makes it hard to see it as anything other than a place fueled by the exceptional desperation of its inhabitants. It’s a perfect fit given what we know of them. We don’t just watch them walk around in their world. We feel the heaviness of their atmosphere. This quality is largely due to how the film was shot. Director Sean S. Baker famously decided to shoot the whole thing using only a couple of iPhones. I don’t know if this was originally a financially motivated decision, or not, but it works wonderfully. I don’t think the film would be quite as effective if it looked any other way. In the future, we might look back at Tangerine as a watershed moment for independent filmmaking. Bringing one’s vision to life is a lot less cost prohibitive when you can make a legitimately good movie with your smartphone. Who knows what this film will inspire? Unfortunately, the fact of how it was made is lost on the general public. I wish Apple had made a bigger deal of it. I can’t help but think they would have if it weren’t about transgender prostitutes.

The subject matter may not be suitable for a giant corporation’s ad campaign, but it provides us with an endlessly interesting film. The people in it are not bound by the stereotypes of ‘what’ they are, but allow us to see ‘who’ they are. In doing so we become riveted by and invested in their plight. Our empathy is rewarded with a plethora of emotions to deal with. We wind up feeling as spent as our main characters when we get to our bittersweet conclusion.

24 comments:

  1. What a great review!! I myself wrote a review more than a month ago but it still hits me so hard. And you encapsulated many points here that are really insightful and improved me reading of the film. It also justifies even more why I think Tangerine deserves its no.2 spot on my top 10 of 2015. It's beautiful, bittersweet, loud mouthed, brash but also quietly hard-hitting in the most silent moments. But you mentioned something that's so true...the characters seem to be pursuing their own interests but its actually their fight for happiness. It just constantly eludes them because of discrimination, social exclusion...all here is all about their hustle. A really really hard-hitting film, it struck my emotional chords like none before. Great job Wendell!

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    1. Thanks. It is indeed a hard hitting film, one with many layers. And yes, happiness proves to be an elusive prey. Glad to see you thought so highly of it.

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  2. Wonderful review! I'll probably give this one a go based on your recommendation. It sounds like the performances alone are worth it.

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    1. Oh, please do. I think you will appreciate it.

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  3. Great review! I'm really looking forward to watching this one, I can't wait to see how it looks considering it was filmed using iPhones :)
    - Allie

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    1. It looks good enough that you wouldn't be able to guess that if someone hadn't told you. Looking forward to hearing what you think of it.

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  4. Great review! I really enjoyed Tangerine and I actually loved the way it was shot. It suited the tone so well and it didn't look nearly as bad as it could've.

    I'm in the boat with thinking Raz's story didn't need to be there. I thought the climax in the doughnut shop was so over the top and infuriating, I wish they could've just left him out completely. It didn't really add much other than something for the girls to come together to make fun of.

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    1. Yes, it looked a whole lot better than it could have and perfectly fit the tone.

      I get that, but I think his story added another layer to the film. It works for me.

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  5. Really enjoyed this one. I'm kind of with of Raz's story and its place in the narrative. I have trouble explaining exactly WHY I think it fits so well (something about how the contrast of Raz as a more "normal" or "respectable" member of society than Sin-Dee or Alexandra or Chester but actually living a seedier, less honest life than the prostitutes/pimps, or about the toll having to hide your true self takes on a person, or something....), but it definitely felt of a piece with the rest of the film for me. I love what you say about Mya Taylor's history-making performance (first trans person to win a major acting prize courtesy of the Independent Spirits!!), too - you really feel her emotions through the quietness of her performance.

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    1. You nailed it in regards to Raz's story. I couldn't quite articulate that, but that's exactly how I feel. And Mya Taylor - wow, what a wonderful performance.

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  6. I really do want to see this as I've heard great things about this and the fact that it was shot entirely on an iPhone just adds the idea that a film could be made no matter what you have as long as you have a great idea.

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    1. In this case, it was a great idea and very well executed. It really could have been a disaster, but worked out marvelously.

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  7. Tangerine was not my kind of film in the slightest, but man it was good and I'm glad it was made.

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  8. Great review, Dell! I'm still sort of torn on this one. It has so many merits, and yet there is something about it that is holding me back from lavishing praise on it like so many have. I do agree with you on many points though, and I did really like this...but it was such a hot mess of a film (probably in a good way, I admit).

    LOL, my review will drop a little later this month.

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  9. Interesting movie indeed! I loved how this film was shot on Iphone! So cool! Great review.

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    1. So do I! That just adds to this movie's charm. Thanks!

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  10. I'm curious to see this just to see how they'd pull off the fact that it was shot on iPhone.

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    1. If you didn't know that going in, you wouldn't guess it.

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  11. interesting post as usual Dell. I have been meaning to watch this for a long time, I think I need to get a hold of a copy and finally watch it!

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  12. Thanks. You should check it out. Not sure if it's the same for you guys, but here in the States it's streaming on Netflix.

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  13. Well, shit. Looks like I need to see this one asap. Sounds pretty interesting.

    Even before I read your sweet review, I was in. I mean, you had me at 88 minutes.

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    1. I figured that would be a draw for you. Just hope it doesn't take 5 tries to get through. ;)

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  14. I myself was unsure whether the cab driver's subplot needed to be there. But an upside to his inclusion is that it adds more diversity to the cast. That's one of many things I loved about the film: Its diverse cast along with its innovative filmmaking and of course, the performances by the two main actresses. Because the film was partially shot in a donut shop, by the time the film was over, it had me hungry for donuts.

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    1. He does add diversity. Great point. Lol about the donuts.

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