Tangerines (2013)

Best movie of this year hands down!

A Masterpiece!

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

In a world so ravaged by endless wars & poisoned with people hating one another, Tangerines (also known as Mandariinid) arrives as an elegantly crafted & sensibly told morality tale that exquisitely demonstrates the futility of war, hate & conflict and shows that beneath all the things that divides us, there lies a humanity which isn't exclusive to any one demographic.Set in a rural village during the 1992-1993 War in Abkhazia, Tangerines concerns an Estonian pacifist who brings two men from opposing forces to his house after finding them gravely wounded in a recent conflict. Nursing them back to health, he tries to dissipate the tension between the two enemies living under the same roof, both of whom have vowed to kill each other once they've recovered.Written, produced & directed by Zaza Urushadze, the film takes a simple premise and turns it into a thoroughly compelling drama that spikes in tension every now n then. Urushadze's approach to his material is grounded in realism as he handles the anti-war themes with precision and allows each character to chip in with their own views & beliefs which then finds a common ground as plot progresses.There are only four people that matter in the film, each exhibiting a certain depth & well-defined arc, and what the story pursues is the unity that develops between the two enemies as they slowly discard their prejudice after getting to know each other a bit more and learn to value the humanity in each other. The final act may not pack as strong a punch as expected but it nonetheless drives the point home.Despite the conflict raging nearby, the remote setting has a very serene feel to it that is further elevated by tangerine trees that infuse life into the deserted town. Camera is silently operated, often employing long takes, and allows each scene to unfold at its own pace. Editing is relaxed while the score beautifully complements the drama from start to finish. But the main highlight is the solid performances.Leading from the front is Lembit Ulfsak as the elderly & wise Ivo whose house is where the drama unfurls. His performance has a calm demeanour to it and it's an admirable work from the senior actor by all means. Giorgi Nakashidze & Mikheil Meskhi are in as the Chechen & Georgian soldier respectively and both play their part responsibly while Elmo Nüganen does well with his role as Ivo's neighbour & friend.On an overall scale, Tangerines is a thought-provoking, riveting & compassionate story of moral, honour, humanity & harmony with its heart at the right place. The nail-biting tension evident in the scenes involving the two enemies sitting in front of each other do make up for the film's finest moments but what really makes it a hopeful & rewarding experience is its timely, topical & universal themes. Well-deserving of a broader viewership, this Estonian gem comes highly recommended.

I gave this movie a 10/10 with out hesitating for a second. Why ? Because it is one of the most touching films I've watched in my life, if not maybe the most touching one. Only 5 actors and a small village where only several scenes where rotated were needed for this movie to be perfect. It tells a very sensitive story and brings a very moral message.

I considered using a summary of "One of the best war films of all time" but this is beyond that. I usually only review under-reviewed (ones with less than 15 reviews) but for this I'll make an exception. I wouldn't say that this film is underrated, it is rated 8.3/10, although I'd give it 9.5/10, this film is still an unknown gem. 60% of voters on IMDb gave it 9 or 10. It is only a matter of time until it enters the IMDb top 250.This film reminds me a lot of No Man's Land, but this one lacks that absurdist Balkan element. Balkan films have strong threads of absurdism, comedy and tragedy coming together, but this film doesn't have that. It's a darker, more somber piece. This film is not a moralizing sermon that's against war. It is not a contrived Lifetime/Oxygen movie that plays like a public service announcement or some educational film shown in schools.It's a real film, cinematic and subtle. It has the perfect balance of dialogue, action/events, space/pacing and music. It is not an action film with a moral message between battles. It is not a sermon interrupted with events. It is not a music video showing the beauty of the country. It is a film, it is what cinema everywhere should be.This film is also not tragic porn. A lot of films just add tragedy after tragedy to pull at our heartstrings. It doesn't use sad music to manipulate you, doesn't have this pile-on of tragedies to make things sad. No orphanage for mentally handicapped cancer kids getting hit with artillery strikes.It's a simple, yet very powerful story. It is a snapshot of time. People criticize films like this for not being encyclopedias of a conflict. They want all sides of the story to be represented and given equal time and weight. "Why didn't they This is pointless. This film is not an encyclopedia of all sides, it's just a single chapter in the life of a man, or three men, when all their lives intersected.Perhaps the target audience for this film is limited. Not many people know where Estonia is, forget them knowing of Abkhazia and what all these things mean. I see that the highest rated bad review talks about "cardboard villain characters of Russian soldiers", even though there are no Russian characters in this film. I highly recommend this film. Watch it with someone who knows a bit about the Caucasus if possible or brush up a bit on the history of that conflict post USSR. You don't need a history degree to understand it. It's a clear cut conflict, it's just that for many, it's an unknown conflict from an unknown part of the world. No rounding up. This is 10/10.

No one should miss this film. I agree with other reviewers here, it's an easy 10. Sets out to accomplish a valuable goal, and does so very convincingly, very gracefully.Each character is very interesting and well acted. As in any significant narrative, the characters actually develop before your eyes, and change.The setting, the landscape is very beautiful. Excellent music suiting the region. Nice, subtle touches of humor despite the grimness of what transpires.Hope this one becomes more well-known, by word of mouth.