“Tangerine” is a neon-tinged whirlwind of human emotions. The main charatcers are two transgender women Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rordiguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor) but their galloping story is never defined by their unconformist sexuality. The emphasis is never on where they are situated on the gender spectrum but rather on the inherently human emotions of jealousy, loyalty and disappointment.  The ladies do, of course, exude oodles of sass, but rather than it becoming a source of ridicule, it is used as a means of empowerment. Their excess is enviable due to its utter and undefeatable honesty.

Furthermore, “Tangerine” is filmed entirely on iPhone 5s. But similarly as the transgender blurb, it does by no means define “Tangerine”. Awkwardly cut off shots with tops of head missing which draw the eyes on the midriff sections add to the chaotic impetus of the film and never stoop to the lows of motion sickness. The colours are also always erring on the side of bright but never to an extent of reducing it to a caricature. “Tangerine” is just a bright and shakily energetic reflection of a colourful life in perpetual motion. 

Regardless of the bottomless pit of oomph and pizzazz, the camera also knows when to linger. The odd scenes here and there where the camera stops and the story freezes for a second provide a much-needed breathing space in the frenzy of life in West Hollywood. The scenes where Sin-Dee is contemplating her options in the bus stop, where the family dog has its 20 seconds of fame or the very last gentle scene of the film are contemplative still lifes resembling the thought-provoking nature of the last scenes from “The Graduate” and “Annie Hall”.

“Tangerine” never gives in to the gimmicky nature of its own taglines. It is more than the sum of its parts. The Aaron-Sorkin-goes-to-the-hood dialogue keeps up with the high energy levels of the protagonists and reflects their unwavering confidence in who they are. These are transgender women who are not defined by their sexual orientation but their deeply human flaws and weaknesses. Unfortunately in this day and age, this is an achievement.