LUCKY GRANDMA
US, 2019, 87 minutes, Colour.
Tsai Chin, Hsiao- Yuan Ha, Michael Tow, Woody Fu, Mason Ya allm..
Directed by Sasie Sealy.
How lucky is lucky? And, who is Grandma?
This is a Chinese story, a story in the Chinese community in New York City, quite a vivid portrayal of the neighbourhood, the families, speaking Mandarin and Cantonese (but many of the next-generation becoming more Americanised), the range of customs, food, and the domination of local protection gangs. Quite a context.
Grandma is 80. However, this review needs to offer some praise for the actress who plays Grandma, Tsai Chin, from a classic Chinese acting family, training in London, entering her film career with the voice of Tokyo Rose in The Bridge on the River Kwai, making several Fu Manchu thrillers with Christopher Lee, twice a Bond Girl, and a career of over 60 years in film and television in England and the United States including The Joy Luck Club! And, her age at the time of portraying Grandma, a vigorous 85.
During the opening credits, Grandma goes to a fortuneteller with her various signs, cards, symbols – and the judgement that October 28 will be a very lucky day for journalling. Of course, it is and it isn’t. Her family want to move out of her apartment and live with them but she wants independence and withdraws all her money from the bank and goes on a bus expedition to a casino. She presumes on her luck and bets on the number eight, the lucky number, and plays all the games, winning until….
Tsai Chin plays Grandma as a tough cookie (perhaps an understated description for this cantankerous, determined old lady or, rather, old girl). And much is made of her characteristics symbol – the perennial cigarette, defiantly lit, inhaled, dangling from her lips. She makes quite an impression – and you might not like to encounter her in a dark alley on a dark night!
Actually, on the bus home, her luck changes but you will need to see the movie to find out how this could be.
Gangsters threaten Grandma and she goes to one of the local gangs to bargain for a bodyguard for a week, $5000 but cut rate to $2000 for the tall big softy she gets, Big Pong, Hsiao Yuan Ha, affable but often enough earning his fee! The local thugs are rather leering and presumptuous about dominating Grandma. Which means that there are some tough sequences, some funny sequences, some slapstick.
One presumes that there is an eager Chinese audience all around the world who will enjoy encountering Grandma – even though they might avoid her in real life! And, for wider audiences who might enjoy something different, they might be in luck in going to see Grandma.
1. Title? The focus on Grandma, the nature of her luck, Chinese luck and traditions? In the American context?
2. New York City, the Chinese neighbourhood, homes, streets, shops, fortunetellers? Gangster headquarters? The musical score?
3. Grandma going to the fortuneteller, the opening credits, the Chinese signs, the cards, symbols, meanings? The number eight? October 28 – and luck for Grandma?
4. The shrine, memories of her husband, his not leaving her anything?
5. October 28, Grandma going to the casino, Grandma at 80, tough, forever smoking, the cigarette dangling, the bus ride, withdrawing her money from the bank, all of it, the bets at the casino, her continued winning, the variety of games, her eventual loss, her reaction?
6. On the way home, the man beside her, leaning on her, his death, her decision, his bag, the money? The consequences with the gangs in New York?
7. Grandma, the money, going shopping, the chandelier? The thugs at her home? Threats, taunts? Her denials?
8. Grandma going to the gang, the discussion, the bargaining for the bodyguard, getting Big Pong? His accompanying her? His character, large, somewhat passive, nodding off, eating, Beacon? Friendly?
9. Grandma in the streets with her bodyguard, getting ahead, the threats, Big Pond returning, his vanquishing the thugs?
10. Grandma and her family, her son, his wife, the grandchildren, the visits, very American? Their wanting Grandma to go and live with them? Her wanting to stay, paying for her apartment?
11. The various encounters with the thugs? Grandma going to Sister Fong, the discussions? The ownership of the money? The band on the bundles of notes?
12. The attack on the house, Big Pong, the thug killed, the other escaping out the window, then bundling up the thug and putting him in the rubbish?
13. Grandma and her grandson, David, his girlfriend, their doing the dance for online view? The old man complaining? Big Pong, Threatening? The group abducting David demanding the money?
14. Grandma, the money for Sister Fong, the bag, putting it with torn up paper? Emptying it? The attack, the shootout, deaths, Grandma being wounded, getting home, bandaging up her wound? The grandchildren wanting to see the wound?
15. Moving, going to live with her son?
16. An adventure of an 80-year-old, a woman in danger but tough, luck, running out of luck, the future?
