In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom.

‘Didi’ is a sweet and charming little coming of age movie from director Sean Wang, telling the story of a young Asian-American boy called Chris (Didi to his family) in 2000s California, with all the trials and tribulations that entails. An ode to his own childhood, it is a movie that captures a period in life where every minor fallout or embarrassing moment feels like the worst thing that could ever happen to you, with a winning central performance from Izaac Wang (no relation to the director).

Didi lives with his mother, grandmother and sister in a suburban home, with his father away in Taiwan for business. The lack of his father’s presence causes a strain in the household, with Didi and his sister constantly clashing, as do his mother and grandmother. Didi’s outlet is through hanging out with his friends, skateboarding and making videos, while also trying to get to know his crush Madi. Set in 2008, it is one of the first coming of age movies I can think of that really captures the experience of growing up online, with nostalgic memories of the early onset of social media (MySpace) and messaging platforms (MSN Messenger, or similar) being used frequently by Didi and his friends.

Didi is a shy boy but things seem to be looking up when he connects with Madi at a party and starts to interact with her more, but an incident then causes him to shy away from her which subsequently has an impact on his relationship with his friends. Things that seem trivial from an adult vantage point aren’t trivial at 13, and coupled with the angst from his father being away, conflict at home and generally being a teenager, Didi alienates himself from Madi and his friends. This is a really enjoyable movie, funny with an edge, and Didi’s experiences are relatable and universal. I also liked that it isn’t afraid to portray Didi negatively at times, reflecting that some of the problems he brings on himself are self inflicted albeit still understandable as the silly mistakes kids can make.

It’s got a good soundtrack that takes me back to the era, although boo for including the incredible ‘Kids’ by ‘MGMT’ in the trailer but not in the actual movie, and some nice performances particularly from Izaac Wang and Joan Chen, who plays his mother. I’m a sucker for a coming of age movie generally and ‘Didi’ is an enjoyable one.

Rating: 4/5

Directed By: Sean Wang

Starring: Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, Shirley Chen, Chang Li Hua, Raul Dial, Aaron Chang and Mahaela Park

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt30319503/