Tangerine (2015) Dir: Sean Baker
- Ridley Coote
- Jun 11
- 2 min read
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In a funny way, I have been working my way backwards through indie filmmaker darling Sean Baker's filmography. I started with his hugely successful 'Anora', then moving onto the wonderful cult hit 'The Florida Project', before now reaching this highly rated, but far more under the radar independent comedy drama from 2015.
As I have begun to expect from Baker's films, this had an intensely dreamy and nostalgic colour palette, which made for sumptuous viewing. The fact that this was filmed on smartphones was only really noticeable during the opening scene, and was extremely impressive either way. To me, this was a perfect example of low budget brilliance from Baker.
The film was sassy, spirited, and wildly amusing. I love how believable the characters in Baker's films are. He always highlights people on the edges of society, without fetishising or mocking them. It's truly wonderful to watch. Nobody does dreamlike realism quite like Baker. The story may be simple, but the way Baker tells it is unexpected, enjoyable, and genuinely very funny.
The performances of both Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Teller are wonderfully expressive and charismatic. They truly emulate some of the unique and adventurous characters from the lower social classes of America - I mean that in the most respectful and complimentary way. I should also mention Karren Karagulian and Mickey O'Hagan for their comparatively smaller, but still very entertaining, supporting performances.
Overall, I thought this was yet another wonderful example of what independent filmmaking can provide, and another jewel in Sean Baker's indie crown. His films may be routed in reality, but they are always able to achieve some feeling of fantasy and magic, that's just so special. I adore this film so much, and will surely be finding more Sean Baker films to watch sooner than later.
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