Tangerine

14 September 2015 | 12:05 pm | Sarah Barratt

"Half of the film feels melodramatic; the other half is pure slapstick, comedic enjoyment."

This is the story of Sin-Dee and her best friend Alexandra, two African American trans women living in LA. They're best friends, they're sex workers and they're aspiring singers. Sin-Dee is fresh out of jail and is on the hunt for her 'cheating-son-of-a-bitch' boyfriend Chester. You'd expect it to be heavy going, but it really isn't. Half of the film feels melodramatic; the other half is pure slapstick, comedic enjoyment.

The two women traipse around LA looking for clues and 'the other woman', who is a white sex worker named Dinah. Their Armenian client and cab driver, Razmik, helps them to get across town. You're given a wonderful fictional insight into the gay and straight world of street sex work, the clients, their families, the workers and their boyfriends.

This film is an honest, amusing portrayal of everything unsavoury about LA, but it also showcases what good can come from true freedom of expression. The music dips between classical, minimal tech and Jersey club to some fucking intense trap. The trap definitely makes sense though when it's matched with countless scenes of the fierce duo pounding the LA pavement.

Shot entirely on iPhone 5S and making it into MIFF this year, it's safe to say that the content is quality.

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter