Didi

It's rare that I see a movie these days completely blind. There are some that I like to go into with as little knowledge as possible after a trailer, but that's not quite blind. 

Didi, is one of the first in a long time that I attended with no knowledge of it at all other than it was getting solid reviews. I had no knowledge that it was a coming-of-age film, set in California in the year 2008. 

That fact didn't make or break Didi, as it's a crowd pleasing, nostalgia bomb for millennials. It has some staying power in part of its story, though I don't think it was as strong as it's very good reviews stated (some have this as their best film of the year thus far). That's irrelevant though as Didi is still a lovely, funny, indie film that deserves your attention.

As described, Didi is a coming of age story of a Taiwanese American boy transitioning from middle school to high school in the summer of 2008. As a millennial myself, the summer of 2008 was right before I went to college but there's plenty to relate to here. In fact, Didi is a bit of a stealthy nostalgia bomb with references to Facebook,  MSN chat rooms, YouTube's old interface, Myspace (including Top 8 Friends, choosing a profile song, etc.), ringback tones, The Dark Knight, and more. It's never manipulative, rather just the setting, but it unlocks some core memories and gets smiles out of those of us who experienced the same elements around the same age. Beyond that, Didi generally has a good sense of humor, even if it's latter third focuses less on laughs and more on character arcs. It's raunchier than I expected, sometimes a bit mean (my brother and I certainly never spoke to one another the way these siblings do), but also has some hilarious bits. A particular story about a squirrel is the film's zaniest moment, but also its funniest. 

Where Didi shines is the underlying story, though not the one you may be expecting. Chris's story (Izzac Wang) is fairly generic when it comes to a coming-of-age tale. He's an unlikable character a lot of the time, but his character arc is satisfying. His mother's story is the true beating heart of the film, and ultimately the piece that will stick with me longest. Joan Chen turns in a magnificent performance as the mother, Chungsing, and her plight and challenges are far more interesting than the majority of the teenage angst Chris is going through. She's raising kids on her own, while managing her mother-in-law, while the father is "away". We never really know why he's "away", but you can see the absence take its toll on her as she struggles with difficult children, prepping a daughter for college, and countering a difficult but well-intentioned mother in law. It's not really the fault of the film that she's not the focal point, though she gains more spotlight by the end. 

Didi was funnier - and more R-rated - than I expected, with some satisfying drama to accompany it. The nostalgia adds another familiar and fun "Oh, I remember that!" layer. I don't think it's one of the year's bests, but it's an original indie film and those in general are easy for me to recommend. 

Rapid Rath's Review Score | 7.5/10