Didi
Didi
Starring Izaac Wang, Shirley Chen, Chang Li Hua, Joan Chen
Directed by Sean Wang
Chris Wang (Izaac Wang) - lovingly called Didi by his mother Chungsing (Joan Chen) - is enjoying the summer before entering freshman year with his few friends who run around town making videos of themselves acting stupid. He talks back to his older sister Vivian (Shirley Chen), treats his mother with contempt, and is otherwise a typical rebellious pre-teen. He experiences his first crush but is too shy to move forward, and his antics begin alienating him from his friends, family, and those he wishes were his friends. Finding himself more and more isolated, Chris experiences loneliness and self-loathing as he tries to find himself in others but instead comes up more and more hollow.
Sean Wang made a powerful, Oscar-nominated short documentary film called "Nai Nai & Wai Po" and followed that up with his first feature-length film "Didi" that once again points to his Asian roots and growing up in an overly white neighborhood while instilling the customs and traditions of his heritage. This time around, however, the main character in the story isn't compelled to embrace his roots but rather wants desperately to fit in - as any kid going into high school wants - and along the way he ends up alienating himself from everyone around him until he finds himself utterly, completely alone due to his own negative actions.
That character is Chris, who's about to be a freshman and who spends the summer with his friends (who, by no coincidence, are also kids of color set against a heavily Caucasian area) going around blowing up mailboxes, killing small animals and otherwise creating nuances for the sake of videotaping them and putting them on an early version of YouTube. He talks back to his sister, treats his mother with no respect, and yet he comes off as a likeable character due to the fact that he's struggling to face his inner demons as well as try to fit in into a world that seemingly is only interested in what he could do for them (most notably when he befriends a group of skaters who want to use him to record their skateboarding, even though he doesn't know how to do that). Young Izaac Wang (best known for his roles in "Good Boys" and "Raya and the Last Dragon") magnificently plays Chris with this delicate balancing act where you're both infuriated with him but also feel a deep emotional connection, whereas one minute he's berating his mother for her lack of painting talent, and the next he's sitting at his computer screen talking to the AOL Instant Messenger Bot about the fact that he has no friends and is totally alone. It's beautifully haunting, but also humorous as he interacts with others. For coming-of-age, this is absolutely on-the-nose.
No coming-of-age film would be complete without parental involvement, and this time it's Joan Chen that tackles that role. Chungsing is a woman who's suffering at every corner. Her husband is working in Taiwan and his mother (a brilliant Chang Li Hua, the real-life grandmother of director Sean Wang) constantly berates her for being a terrible mother because her kids are fighting constantly. She is an aspiring painter who has good work, but is turned down time and again, and even her son comments on her lack of talent. She is trying to raise both her children essentially on her own, and having Chris act out in more and more dangerous ways begins taking a toll on her, culminating in two stunning moments between the mother and son that showcases both their incredible talents without coming off as cheesy or trite.
Films like this thrive on a compelling story and powerful performances, and "Didi" manages to pull both off spectacularly, giving an emotionally jarring yet humorous coming-of-age movie that sheds light on growing up Asian in the time of the Internet.
The Score: A
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