Lucky Grandma

"Lucky Grandma" (2019 release; 87 min.) brings the story of Grandma. As the movie opens, we are in Chinatown, New York, and Grandma is having her fortune told. "You lucky day is coming on October 28", the fortune teller says. On that day, Grandma empties her bank account savings (all of $1,700) and heads out of town to a casino. On the return bus trip, the guy sitting next to her dies of a heart attack, and Grandma notices his bag is full of cash, mostly $100 bills. She decides to run off with it, but it isn't long before she is visited by Chinese mobsters... At this point 12 are less than 15 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the feature length debut of writer-director Sasie Sealy. Here she brings the story of a chain-smoking and fiercely independent ol' ladie who unexpectedly gets mixed up in Chinese mobsters fighting over money. The movie is marketed as a "comedy drama". Let me just tell you this: there is zero dram, I mean none. Yes there is some comedy, as a "grandma" gets unwillingly mixed up in the Chinese underbelly of New York, and yes, the theater audience I saw this with laughed out loud on some occasions. I must admit it didn't do much for me either way. I just never got into this film, for whatever reason. The bright spot is of course Tsai Chin, in the role of Grandma. Best known for her role in "The Joy Luck Club"

An overall good movie. Safe for 12 and up to watch. Amusing, with a few good laughs. The actors were engaging and entertaining. The film didn't drag much, kept a pretty good pace. Semi-believable story line. Fun to watch.

A thoroughly watchable comedy. It really helped that my wife of 50 years was Cantonese,otherwise I may have missed some of the jokes.

Just a seven, could have been a 5 but for the acting of the main character.

Sometime you just can't put China away and hope it will forget how powerful a force it is on earth. Lucky Grandma is set in NYC's Chinatown while Polanski's Chinatown ends on the opposite coast, unifying so to speak. A family's concern about the welfare of Grandma (Tsai Chin) after Grandpa's death is exacerbated by her finding a load of mobster money after her visit to a Casino. The gangsters want it back, and she's her smoking, feisty little self not willingly to give anything to anyone.

Some stereotypes crop up like the recalcitrant grandma, the feckless mobsters, and the way too deferential family. Best of all is her very big bodyguard, Big Pong (whom you would expect is loveable, and he is.) While the tight little drama allows major players to face down the mob, mostly the family itself comes up with ways to keep things moving in the case of the immoveable grand mom. If you feel you may have met some of the eccentrics before, you have, in the memorable characters out of The Coen Brothers, whom freshman director Sasie Sealy acknowledges as a big influence.

Although China cannot downplay the effects of its virus activity, we are aware that like Corona, the virus has no firm idea from whence it came or where it will end.

Even the music! Andrew Orkin's jazz score is a unifier that would fit right in anywhere. While this Chinatown promises a melancholy return to good practices and loving families, we know better. For a strong small film to enjoy, those who have had a wisecracking grandma can remember once more an audience global and powerful.

Found this movie via Alamo's OnDemand site - Lucky Grandma has something for everyone: Light humor, mob intrigue, a lovingly shot Chinatown, and a stand-out score that yanked me in with the first blast of the brass choir.

I don't think there are enough stories featuring the 70+ crowd out there; Tsai Chin paints a very human picture of entitlement (damn the consequences) after a life of hard work. Who doesn't deserve a sack of cash for making it that far?