Dìdi (弟弟)

"I think about my life, how I got here. So ordinary." DiDi, the directorial debut of Sean Wang, plays out in a semi-autobiographical depiction of adolescence in the mid 2000s. We follow DiDi (Izaac Wang) , a 13 year old in 2008 as he navigates friendships, crushes, and wanting to fit in. This all sounds very simple, but spells out a more compelling story of what it's actually like to be a first generation child in America - to feel as though you exist in two places but not really belonging to either. This film was a nostalgia bomb, and a wonderful observation of the classic coming of age story paired with acceptance. You root for DiDi, and at the same time are disappointed by his actions - it's an endearing feeling to remember what it was like to be a teenager, constantly feeling and actually doing all of the wrong things. Life is hard when you're 13, and harder so when you're still trying to figure yourself out. We all know what it's like to lie to make friends, to get the girl, to be embarrassed of who you are - these inconsequential little missteps are what shape us. We end up loving DiDi because we've been him too. This strong performance by Izaac Wang ( DiDi ), is perfectly complimented by Joan Chen who plays his mother - a failed artist who has never stopped asking herself "what if". It's impossible to not empathize with her position, a mother who's sacrificed all of her own dreams to pursue the dream of watching her children grow and be happy - sometimes love and resentment sit in the same boat, balancing each other out, it's part of what it means to compromise. Loved seeing how their relationship evolved through the film, would say her performance is worthy of a bit of Oscar buzz. This is a film for anyone who has ever been a teenager, for anyone who may still be trying to fit in. I actually cried when Motion City Soundtrack played at the credits sequence - bravo, brilliant, beautiful.