TANGERINE by Sean Baker

The Plot: Sin-Dee, a transgender prostitute, gets released from jail and her best friend, Alexandra, tells her that her pimp/boyfriend has a new girl. Sin-Dee goes on an angry search for her pimp and his new lover.

The cast: In the leading role of Sin-Dee, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez is over the top, irritating, hysterical and human. Mya Taylor shines as Alexandra, giving her character a dignity that is missing from all the other characters. Both actresses are real transgender and are completely at ease in front of the camera. In supporting roles, Karren Karagulian convinces as the taxi driver and Mickey O’Hagan looks really decadent as the pimp’s new girl.

The Movie: It’s amazing to think that director Sean Baker shot this entire movie on iPhone! The result is frenetic, colorful and show us a reality that we prefer to ignore. Baker cares for his characters, avoids moral statements and gives it all a raw humor that make the story easy to assimilate. The editing is frenetic and sometimes isn’t easy to follow. As for the soundtrack, it’s loud and merges perfectly with the situations. I confess I never saw anything like this and I think this isn’t for everyone’s taste: transgender prostitutes, married taxi drivers who like to suck dick, drugs, weird clients, decadent whores, LA desolate streets, a mother-in-law from hell and a wife who prefer to ignore some facts. Are you in the mood for a different movie experience? If so, give this one a chance, it deserves it!

My Rate: 7 (from 1 to 10)