What a waste of my time!!!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

It is easy to assume that just because some movie comes from Hollywood, that it is somehow a by-product of the Hollywood film industry/machinery, especially for those who are intellectually challenged or perhaps just plain uninformed that it is also as place where people learn to just agree to disagree with each other, just like everywhere else. There is a remarkable simplicity in the story. A cleverly structured screenplay that covers a 12-hour period during Christmas eve 2014 in the life of two trannie working girls, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez as Sin-Dee and Mya Taylor as Alexandra, whose banter right from the get-go makes sure the viewer gets the gist of who they are. Though unapologetic and doesn't care for other people's judgment, it is a take-it-or-leave-it-attitude that contradicts the two "girls" real desire in getting the attention of the "right people". The tautly edited 88-minute movie has a superb soundtrack, and a cast that boasts an eclectic mix of professional and non-professional actors who all gave excellent performances, none of them could be regarded as superfluous to the narrative, each one an essential component to the story.James Ransone (The Wire; Generation Kill) as Chester, the guy that Sin-Dee searches for through the course of the movie. Mickey O'Hagan as the girl Sin-Dee drags along with her in that search. Karren Karagulian as Razmik, the taxi driver that is way too familiar with the rounds in his route and has disdain for his mother-in-law, Ashken, Alla Tumanian, who is in town to visit her daughter Yeva, Luiza Nersisyan, for the Christmas eve dinner. Then there's Shih-Ching Tsou, the lady manning the doughnut shop, and Arsen Grigoryan as Razmik's fellow taxi driver. And there's notable cameos from Clu Gulager as a taxi passenger and Scott Krinsky (TV series Chuck) who is Alexandra's potential john.Though the use of iPhone 5 gives it a grittiness that makes it feel way too real, the use of Steadicam reduced the shaky feel that people would usually get from cellphone footage helped create that needed awareness of the unreality of the movie watching experience by giving an indie film a professional feel to it.The delicacy in handling the issues facing people who work the oldest profession face and the showing vantage point of transvestites was sucg masterstroke. Though these people are portrayed as defiant in not being presented as victims, this could be seen as a necessity for those who are living on the fringes of the fringes of the society. The dark humor that the characters exhibit is only a means for survival in their dog-eat-dog existence.For all the superlatives that could be said, there is somewhat an anomaly that lurks beneath the surface. Or perhaps the hole on the conventional doughnut metaphor is good way to describe it, not used as a lame-glutes pun or sexual euphem. The hole in the sweet pastry makes it distinct, wouldn't be as noticeable without it, giving its identity. It is a foible that is like an off-key tune that is very jarring yet even that serves a purpose of getting the public's attention and doing it without stirring too much controversy and thus, handing in the movie's triumph. But oddly, it is also the same thing that drags this film back from becoming an almost flawless comedy/drama from being a modern-day classic that it deserves to be. Mainstream Hollywood need not to tell these stories anymore because having talents like Baker would do the unseemly subject matter involved more justice, giving it a more intimate, making it more personal experience for the cast and crew and eventually, the viewers. Mr. Baker has achieved in this movie to give the world an exquisite glimpse of L.A. in a very self-deprecating light, a much needed counterpoint to the existence of the Tinseltown's creations.And a perfect denouement was thrown in that serves as a sobering reminder, to punctuate and make sure that this movie sticks into the viewer's consciousness, by pulling away the rug of humor from under the movie's bare feet. Brutal.My rating: B-plus.

Some people say "best movie." What? It was so bad. The acting was terrible, the writing was terrible and yes it looked like a iPhone. Not in a good way.I turned it off after 20 minutes, and that was me being extremely patient. I live in that area so I know the corner very well and yes that's the crowd that hangs out there, but it was like the filmmakers didn't get it and the lengthy nonsensical dialogue was uninteresting.I was gonna give it one star which it deserves, but just for the effort of the different subject matter and in general the long hard work you put into making a film I give it two stars.

I'm not so concerned with "high-concept" in motion picture as in the execution of it. So much hype surrounded this film. Long-standing indie journalists and industry professionals urged me to see it. I tried. I realize that we're talking about hotbed issues. Well, controversy may be enough to sell a movie, but it isn't enough to make it great, or even good. The movie felt amateurish. The acting was so bad that I found it unwatchable. David Lynch is correct. Here is an example of how the motion industry has effectively destroyed itself. The emperor isn't wearing any clothes. Renaissance is needed.

...should have been the title for this film. I'm not a big fan of 'scripted reality' shows and this is basically an SR show made into a feature length film with a few added gimmicks thrown in to get attention.The film starts abruptly enough, and at this point I was thinking 'ok well judging by the reviews the film obviously has great characterisation or something' but no it just becomes a mess of bitching, swearing, walking about, "cool" music interludes and the protagonists being generally unpleasant to anyone and everyone they meet.Throw in the fact it's all shot on iPhone - which conveniently excuses the cast for their atrocious acting - and let's not forget the hype generated by the transgender / transsexual angle - and you've got a film which isn't going away in a hurry.It's great to see trans women - in fact anyone from an LGBT subgroup for that matter - represented on-screen by people from that actual community - but just imagine how much better it would be if they tried to actually act!I like the fact this film gives a voice and some screen time to otherwise marginalised actors and actresses - but it's done so amateurishly it's impossible to feel anything for any of the characters because they are depicted as either unlikable or just unrealistic human beings. You'll find yourself asking how some of these people made it to adulthood if this is the way they treat each other. Where's the love?As for this being a Christmas movie, if they didn't feel the need to remind the viewer that 'it's xmas eve!' every 6 mins you would be forgiven for assuming it's the middle of July.Please... discount the gimmicks and give Tangerine a miss. Maybe someone will do a film like this properly in the future, but for now just avoid this cheap and boring movie.ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTIONS: Sense8 covered some similar themes and delivered superior performances compared to this tosh - and if you really must watch scripted reality watch something like TOWIE instead... at least in that they respect each other as human beings.