LUCKY GRANDMA

Our titular "Lucky Grandma" (Tsai Chin) finds herself in the middle of a gang war after having a bag of money literally fall into her lap.

The story isn't necessarily an original one. We've seen this plot line in Oscar winning films (No Country for Old Men comes to mind), to B-movies, to movies at the bottom of the barrel. The way that filmmaker Sasie Sealy steers this film in different directions is what gives it a unique flavor and creative appeal.

This is my first experience with Tsai Chin, though looking at her filmography I see that she was a Bond girl and also featured in Casino Royale. I enjoyed her performance at the cranky, begrudged grandmother who lands in hot water with the mob.

Unlike other films of this type, the pace isn't frenetic or pulsing. Rather, it takes its time as Tsai Chin moves from scene to scene with her lovable bodyguard Big Pong. The film wants to show us that the grandmother is a woman who has her wits about her, rather than a character that has randomly fallen into this situation by chance. Every choice is methodical and logical, with the only exception being the finale, which I won't spoil.

The film deserves to be watched, and if awards seasons do arrive this year, I hope to see Tsai Chin's name to be mentioned in the Golden Globes for best comedic performance.

8/10