CinemaClown 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.

undeaddt 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.

Shreyance Parakh I'm not aware of the political, historical, religious & ethnic differences between the people depicted in the movie, but I can still relate to them. I mean not in the literal sense but just on human level.I think, almost always, majority of the people who are fighting a war are not personally affected by its cause. It's something that's just inculcated in them. They are taught to hate the opposite side.This movie, with a handful of characters, in just so little words, in such a short time, makes you realize that you can empathize with anyone. You should just have the will to do so. Humanity is capable of so much love that there can be no place left for hatred, but sadly we're too busy fighting, every day, every where, in one or another part of the world.This is a captivating movie from the first frame to the last. The background score uplifts and complements the mood of the movie so beautifully. The acting is sublime, the direction is top notch. The story is really simple and all the charm is in the storytelling.It makes you question yourself. Whatever your hate is, if you can learn to empathize, then you've lived a life.

asc85 I wasn't planning on writing a review for this one, but when 39 of the 41 reviews written thus far are positive about Tangerines, I have to show the other side of this. I was certainly looking forward to seeing it, as it got an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film, and it was listed as only being 87 minutes. But once it started, it was slow and boring, and I almost fell asleep numerous times. No new ground broken here...another user reviewer compared this movie to "No Man's Land," and thought "No Man's Land" was much better. I found that comparison really interesting, because as I was watching this, I thought of "No Man's Land" too, and thought it was much better than Tangerines. I hope the Oscar nomination was a shot in the arm for film-making in Estonia, and that's always a good thing. But the film itself? Skip it, and watch "No Man's Land" instead if you're in the mood for a film like this.Finally, at least in the DVD in the United States, the subtitles were super-small, making it difficult to read.