Review of Tangerine (2015) by Dayton C — 22 Feb 2016

A dramedy shot on iPhones (smart phones augmented with equipment enhancing the filmmaking process but phones nonetheless), Tangerine tastes sweeter than a gimmick because the story smacks of a genuine experience. Everything about this non-flavor-of-the-week brims with reality. Non-actors ratcheting up the drama. Drama wrenched from a simple electric premise. A premise not many can relate to but driven by very sympathetic characters. Characters played by non-actors portraying real-as-hell drama that's captured on something that you most likely have in your pocket.

In this R-rated drama currently available on Netflix, a working girl (Rodriguez) tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart.

The slim story of shadiness leaves for an economical narrative that puts character at the forefront. More sinners than saints themselves, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor nonetheless pull at our heartstrings because so little of the film and their performances prove seem put-on. The situations and players come from an unsparingly honest place. What better way to document this experience than with guerilla technology that's at once recognizable and yet brilliantly improved upon? Bells and whistles play a minor role, but the story elevates Tangerine from merely being a gimmick. What director/co-writer Sean Baker accomplishes goes beyond gimmicky--it's pure magical filmmaking besides. His flick might be the highest profile example of Smart Phone cinema yet, but it's also damn good.

Bottom line: iMac Daddy.