Review of Tangerines (2013) by William Z — 30 Apr 2015

My only knowledge going into Tangerines was that it was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at this years Oscars and that it's from Estonia and Georgia, but even by going in with virtually no expectations, I was let down.

Why? Because a movie should leave you with things to talk about and this movie didn't make me feel any emotions different than the ones I was experiencing while going to see the movie. I'm happy to say that it's well acted, but I also have to say that this movie is really boring, and it's actually the most boring movie that I've seen so far this year.

On top of that, it's only 87 minutes including credits. I've said this before and I'll say it again: I have no problem with slow movies. Some of my favorite movies of recent years--Under the Skin, Foxcatcher, Somewhere, The Rover, etc.

--are very slow movies where the progression of their stories aren't verbalized and instead focus on small, peculiar things that other movies don't. Tangerines, however, focuses on the same kind of stuff that we've seen before, but does it without ever fully engaging its audience.

I'd be hard pressed to think of a full two minutes where I was fully involved in what was happening because the movie's themes aren't particularly unique. There are two characters that hate each other and a neutral third party that seems to bridge the gap between the two, and the movie examine their relationship from an anti-war angle.

That's fine, but it becomes such a wasted concept in how uninteresting the entire movie is. Even the final ten minutes or so--the only part that really works--don't work like they should because the proceeding 75 minutes did nothing for me.

When a movie makes absolutely no impact on you other than its solid performances, it's pretty clear that it didn't do its job. Instead of thinking about the movie while leaving the theater, I was wondering why The Academy nominated this for Best Foreign Language Film over Mommy or Two Days, One Night, and it in turn made those movies look even better in comparison.

4.3/10, bad, two thumbs down, below average, etc.