Tangerine

Definitely...the most divisive film of 2015...the film that was filmed on an iPhone...

Bearing that in mind, there are two ways of looking at this...as...

A cheap, technically innovative, arthouse film that wowed the [politically correct] critics with its hearts-of-gold trans*actors depicting a gritty, realistic trans*story.

Or...

A violently misogynistic, painfully amateur, assault to the senses!

In truth, it's a bit of both.

The story is flimsy and features too much walking/strutting...usually accompanied by some ear-shattering music.

The 'acting' is a solid salute to mumblecore...and, it has got to be said, the campaign for Oscar nominations for the two leads was either...a laudable publicity stunt...or, a mindless delusion.

One is better than the other...but, neither are going to be lifting any hefty awards. As a springboard to credible careers...don't hold your breath.

Now...there has been much said about trans*actors playing trans*characters, the lack of people of colour in film (especially LGBT film) and, negative/positive representations of LGBT people (in film)...

Well, babies...where are those film boycotting activists when you need them...Tangerine has it all: trans*actors playing trans*characters badly, they are people of colour and, quite possibly, the most negative representations you could possible get...women-hating, habitually violent, drug-dependent, intellectually challenged, low-tariff hookers.

Yeah...that's a damn fine representation of LA's trans community!

It would have been a whole different kettle-of-fish if...Sin-Dee and Alexandra had been played by actors, cis (what a ridiculous word) men-of-colour. Oooh what a furore that would have caused...at least the acting would have been better!

It does sound as if we absolutely hated this film...we didn't, not at all. In fact...we kinda liked it.

So, why all the negativity?

It's a symptom of the times...political correctness is eclipsing judgment and curbing creativity.

Tangerine is nothing but creative...it was made on an iPhone for godsakes!

So...instead of all the couch-dwelling, mouse-twiddling activists screaming on and on about fair/positive representation and boycotting any film that doesn't match their whining...take a leaf from the book of Sean Baker, he (a cis [what a ridiculous word] man) went out and made a well-received film about trans*people...with an iPhone. Congrats for that!

Tangerine is not a great film, it's a good film...definitely flawed...but, defiantly fierce.

Trailer...