Dìdi (2024)
34KDìdi (2024). 1h 33m | R
“This film won the Sundance Audience Award. Youu0026#39;ll see why fast. My packed audience gasped and reacted to much of it and we were fully involved and invested. Wang is an Oscar nominee for his documentary short starring his grandmother, who he cast here as the leadu0026#39;s grandmother. Sheu0026#39;s an amateur, but a delight. We get to see a Fremont, California 13 year old Taiwan American attempt to overcome his social and academic issues. Heu0026#39;s a somewhat interesting kid. Iu0026#39;m really not interested in puberty cinema, but at least it doesnu0026#39;t outstay its welcome at 94 minutes. I later learned that his name is Mandarin for little brother! Big sister Vivian is soon off to UCSD. Grandma thinks itu0026#39;s too far away and stresses the importance of Didi getting into Stanford. Thatu0026#39;s a pipe dream at this point for the aloof student hanging out with a bad element. Shirley Chen is pretty good as Vivian. She has shadings to her acerbic character later when she opts to become sort of a second mom to him. Joan Chen is tremendous as the mom. She keeps pursuing her artistic dream by painting in a spare room and submitting her work to competitions. She once even dreamed of having a studio in NY. Chen is a prou0026#39;s pro and delivers late in the film conveying her frustrated dreams. The family has first world problems as they live in a gorgeous home financed by the breadwinner off winning bread in Taiwan. The scene involving another Asian family at a restaurant was great. The other mother brags about her childrenu0026#39;s accomplishments while Didiu0026#39;s mom seems crestfallen and embarrassed about her own. Itu0026#39;s not exactly a family film with all the cursing, sexuality and even violence. But itu0026#39;s a wonderfully entertaining coming of age film that will be memorable. Wang will be directing films with huge budgets within five years if he so chooses. Izaac Wang, no relation AFAIK, is really engaging as the lead. He can be the Asian Michael Cera. Or he can just be himself.”
