I was determined to spend my money to support Tangerine and show that movies starring transgender actresses, especially transgender actresses of color, can make money. Because Tangerine is an independent film about a prostitute, Sin-Dee, released from jail on Christmas Eve who hears from her best friend, Alexandra, that her boyfriend/pimp, Chester, cheated on her with a cis woman, I knew that I may be clutching my metaphorical pearls the entire time.
Tangerine may offend delicate sensibilities and does have brief scenes of drug use, sex and a lot of profanity, but it met my Bad Santa exception by keeping the characters interesting and sympathetic regardless of their socioeconomic status and flaws, being hilarious and having an amazing soundtrack. Unlike Bad Santa, Tangerine tells a story that is realistic to a segment of society that is not as fortunate as Caitlyn Jenner, who has family, friends and money to help make the transition easier. Instead the characters hold on desperately to the parts of their lives that make them feel authentically themselves: relationships, friendships, a dream.
In Tangerine, the dynamic story remains cohesive by the glue of two friends. Even as Sin-Dee recklessly and callously careens through LA in heels and riding an array of buses asking where Chester is, she never forgets about Alexandra and vice versa. They don’t have much, but they have each other, and that truth becomes apparent towards the end of Tangerine in a scene of such heartbreaking solidarity that I stayed seated in silence with much of the audience as the credits rolled.
Tangerine is far from perfect. Tangerine is a bit rough presentation wise and has a shaky beginning, but soon maintains its momentum and never lost my attention. I loved that Tangerine stressed that sex work is a job, not fun or a tool for self-discovery. I’m also delighted that Tangerine focused on what it is like to live in a car culture and not be financially able to afford one, which is signaled by the opening scene at the Donut Shop. I won’t say much about a subplot involving Razmik, an immigrant cab driver, but it was pretty phenomenal.
Tangerine’s cast is perfect and I hope to see more of Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, who plays Sin-Dee, and May Taylor, who plays Alexandra. Mickey O’Hagan holds her own and steals the show as the unwilling third wheel who splashes cold water into the friends’ illusion of what their lives are really like.
Tangerine succeeds at telling stories of the people whom we ignore such as transgender women of color who earn a living through prostitution or strung out cis women or the invisible people such as immigrant cab drivers who have to support their families, but are desperate for release from never-ending responsibilities. I loved Tangerine unconditionally for loving its imperfect characters.