Dìdi

What holds it all together is a superbly understated performance from Wang, who is fully three-dimensional as Chris — a decent kid trying to figure it all out. Absent here are all the usual cinema cliches and exaggerations about teen life, thank the goddess.

You get the sense watching Didi that this is a bit of an apology from Wang to his own mother for not seeing her as a real person when he was young. But that isn’t all it is: It’s a funny, heartfelt movie, tapping into the audience’s latent memories as well as our great relief at no longer being 13.

Sean Wang, as both writer and director, has turned in an excellent entry into the “call your mother” cinematic canon. He doesn’t flinch from the darker or more troublesome aspects of the early teen years, but he ultimately balances them expertly by handling his messy protagonist with generosity and care.

There are strong shades of Bo Burnham’s 2018 movie Eighth Grade here. That’s not to call Dídi derivative at all, but to say that it nails that high-school yearning to be cool and complete lack of any idea how to get there, making things worse for yourself with every attempt.

Dìdi reminds us that our parents aren’t just our parents — they’re people who have their own hopes and dreams. It’s not just about us.

It’s not upsetting, nor is it overly invested in tricking tears out of us. It’s just so specifically observed that you’ll be hiding your head in your hands, ashamed that you were ever as foolish, cowardly, insolent, horny, and ridiculous as Chris (Izaac Wang) A.K.A. Wang Wang to his friends.

There’s no denying this is a film capable of winning audiences of all types with its inherent charm, humor, and nostalgia. For me, however, this was 91 minutes of unfocused, chaotic energy that I did not enjoy. Tonally, the movie is all over the place, while its themes are explored with timid execution.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Ao mesmo tempo que é muito bom ver a masculinidade sendo retratada no cinema, o filme em si não consegue emocionar: passa como uma crônica banal do cotidiano. Muito bonita a relação do jovem com a mãe, mas é estéril, bem como os conflitos com os colegas, o núcleo de adolescentes mais velhos, a paixão. É tudo meio como um ciclo em aberto, e isso pode ser visto como mérito do filme, por não se entregar a soluções fáceis. A meu ver, tornou frio. Ainda assim, muito belo, real, e não apela.

Went in expecting a sweet, funny junior high story along the lines of “8th Grade”. Instead got a bitter observation of a young teen with a lot to learn about being a good person.

A well edited but ultimately average movie about another self-centered, teenage victim of the digital age.

Very underwhelming to say the least. DISAPPOINTING, seventy five characters