dvd of the week
Tangerine, a masterpiece of LGBT cinema, is about one day in the lives of two transgender prostitutes in Hollywood. Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor) are about to share a celebratory donut – it’s Christmas Eve, and Sin-Dee has just gotten out of jail – when Alexandra accidentally blurts out that Sin-Dee’s boyfriend and pimp Chester (James Ransone) has been cheating on her while she was away. Sean Baker, who conceived the film with Taylor and writer Chris Bergoch, is an auteur. He and his co-cinematographer Radium Cheung shot the whole film on iPhones, and while this is an amazing technical feat in and of itself, it’s the stunning compositions, saturated light and editing of the shots that are so gorgeous and innovative. Baker also directed trans newcomers Rodriguez and Taylor to award-worthy performances. The film is blisteringly funny and foul, but it is also moving, a paean to friendship and pride.
