Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

jtncsmistad The Georgia-Abkhazia War of the early 1990's is an historically underrecognized bloodbath born of a barbaric struggle over traditional land rights and ethnic freedom. The extraordinary film "Tangerines" chronicles the grim atrocities of this vicious Eastern European conflict. At the same time, however, the story brings to bear the uniquely insane folly of a civil war. In this case it is one in which many of the combatants on both sides are unaware of the history of the people tens of thousands of them will die fighting for.Lembit Ulfsak is remarkable as Ivo, an elderly woodworker and tangerine grower. Ivo remains behind in a small village while the rest of his family have fled to Estonia. After the war literally comes to his front door, he winds up taking in and caring for a pair of soldiers morbidly wounded in a deadly gun fight. The two men are bitter enemies. Each wants to finish the job on the other. In his own quiet manner, Ivo strives to inject humanity into a crucible of hate and resentment. "Tangerines" may well leave you asking, "Were it this simple?" Or perhaps, as Director Zaza Urushadze impresses here, the question will rather be this alternative."Why CAN'T it be this simple?"

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.

leonidas03031979 Few are the times that I have so clearly and strongly felt what the writer wants to say while watching a film. True and crystal explanation of what a war is and how complete strangers who have nothing against each other will find themselves as enemies in a battlefield and try to kill each other just because this is what their leaders ordered them to do. Every person with a common sense will understand this after watching this film. For those who can't get the message here there's truly no hope of salvation. Such stories should be taught at schools in order to make this world a better place. Fanaticism and blind odium, wherever they come from, is the real problem. This is what the film is talking about and it's doing it spotlessly.

Tom Dooley Plot Spoilers Set in 1992 we meet Ivo who is an ethnic Estonian living in the Apkhezeti region of Gergia. The war has driven most of the village away but Ivo remains with his friend Margus to harvest a tangerine crop. The war soon arrives at their doorstep and Ivo and Margus are faced with two injured soldiers – one from either side. They take them both in and care for both.The problem is that Ivo has now brought the war under his roof and he will have to deal with the consequences as best he can. Now this is one of those films' that is both simple and complex. Simple in that it is dealing with the often seemly black and white situation of a conflict – you have to be on one side or the other. And it is complex in that it shows the very complex issues of 'grey area' that arise when kindness and decent humanity are placed before all.This is a genuinely moving film that has a great anti war message at its heart but it is also very positive in many ways. Brilliantly acted by all – Lembit Ulfsak as Ivo is particularly effective. It is also simply but effectively shot and is a testament to small budgets that can be devastatingly brilliant. This is why World cinema and new European cinema should be applauded – absolutely stunning.