Review of Tangerine (2015) by Mark A — 15 Dec 2015
Sean Baker's Tangerine is bound to be one of the Water-Cooler Films of 2015. It was shot entirely on an array of iPhone 5s, a majority of its story-an effective one-is not mainstream in the slightest and it is a unique glimpse into what independent cinema can potentially look like-showing the world what is achievable with inventive use of resources.
After the initial visual acceptance that this is shot on iPhone (the opening looks like an above-average YouTube video), Baker and his cast and crew do an accomplished effort in immersing you into this crazy, insightful and interesting world they create (which happens to be on Christmas Eve).
In the state of "normalcy" that is presented, Baker uses deft comedic timing and curious use of editing and music selection to help push the rather straightforward plot into motion. It is telling that by the time the film ends talk of how the picture looked isn't the main topic of discussion (although there are some great looking scenes), rather it is how well the story is told and the scope of it all.
Tangerine could have been a gimmick-an attention seeker that was hitting its moment in the zeitgeist-but Baker knew that the long lasting stories are the ones told well.
This review of Tangerine (2015) was written by Mark A on 15 Dec 2015.
Tangerine has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
