Chris talks too much, particularly in the last moments of the movie when he screams and swears at his sister and mother. But his mother, of course, and sister both support him. Some have referred to this movie as a "love letter" to the director's mother on Afdah. Perhaps it is merely an apology in disguise. It's a portrayal of teenage rage. Chris had to deal with being Asian in a predominantly White world and having an absent father, as if being thirteen wasn't enough. Fremont and Director Wang both experienced this. Then he went on to make this film. At Sundance, it was a huge smash, taking home an award, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd, and being picked up by Focus Features for distribution.
With this film, Sean Wang directs his first narrative movie; he has previously directed multiple shorts and two feature-length documentaries, A Marble Travelogue and Lady of the Harbour. The film's emotional resonance and the nuanced way in which the plot is handled suggest that Wang will continue to refine and develop his narrative voice, which should lead to more excellent work in the future. Drawing on his script, Wang crafts a story that revolves around family and is inextricably linked to the mother of young Izaac. Not everything is as easy as it seems on the surface, as Izaac himself finally learns, and love is ultimately the foundation of any family. Izaac, the youthful Chris Wang, communicates throughout the movie on his own terms.
His irritation stemmed from having to live up to his mother's rigid restrictions as a child and from being torn between two cultures. He also expressed displeasure over puberty and its aftereffects, as well as the difficulties of going to a regular American high school. Joan Chen excels in the role of Chungsing Wang, Izaac's mother, who goes through the same ordeal as her daughter that she is making Izaac go through. Even the most severe person may find themselves in tears when contemplating their own mother in the powerful and unforgettable scene where the cathartic realization takes place, despite the fact that it occasionally seems as though these two will only see the parallels in their lives when it is too late. The work of Chris Wang in Izaac is sufficient.
