User reviews

This was a pleasant film. Nothing taxing but some fun performances to watch. Probably not as heartwarming as it could have been but also not edgy at all. It was straight down the middle.

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.

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.

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.

They don't come that much more un-Hollywood (quirky) than Lucky Grandma...when was the last time you watched a movie with a droll 80yr old chain-smoking woman as the main star? Is Grandma lucky? Well, challenged would be a better fit. Poor Grandma, 40 odd years working hard beside her husband only to find she's been left with virtually nothing. The best thing we can take away from this story is; Luck is an illusion you can't bank on...no matter what the fortune readers may tell you.

While there are good helpings of ironic humour and comical situations 'Grandma' at times presents with some slightly unsettling violence, occasioning death, courtesy of rivalry between a couple of local Chinese crime gangs. To find out how Grandma is drawn into these situations you'll just have to watch. Thankfully, the links with family offer an all-important and warming strength to Grandmas very edgy entrapments.

There are plenty of odd, well played Characters injecting fun throughout, along with some rather sinister types you'd be happy not to meet. An imaginative music score from Andrew Orkin adds nice touches - while the visuals provided by El Salvadorian Cinematographer, Eduardo Enrique Mayen supply professional contrasts between New York Chinatown's side streets, back alleys, and grannies' meagre apartment...where it seems there's always someone knocking on her door!

The first theatrical feature from director/writer Sasie Sealy gives us good cause to want to see her next effort.

An unhappy grandma from Chinatown in NYC, tries her luck at the casino and ends up mixed up with gangsters. Definitely an original story and what I enjoyed the most was that I could not predict what would happen next. The acting was superb, especially from the main character, Tsai Chin. And how often do we get to see a grizzled old lady carry a film! Sit back and enjoy it for the fun it is.

Easily one of the most uneven films of the year. The first half is a quite funny black comedy but in the second half it just kind of drops that and becomes a far more straight crime drama. The joke is I guess there's this grumpy old lady at the centre of it but that in and of itself isn't that funny. It actually becomes a bit sad and not in a good emotional way, sad in a 'I don't want to see gangsters attempt to strangle and shoot an old lady' kind of way. But at the same time she's not a particularly good person or sympathetic character so I don't really care that much either. What a strange experience this film is.

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?

"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"

The movie makes us realize that we all actually have an Icon at home having all the elements of "badass", rebellious personal style and cutting edge care and concern for her family members, living or deceased ! She is none other than your granny !

Tsai Chin is terrific, electrifying and fantabulous in not settling for the stereotypical image nor difference in the kind of attention for people of her age to receive. Lucky Grandma simply lives and acts the way she wants: defiant, rebellious and unyielding in her own right, in her own personal style ! Very calculating towards vendors; very shrew in engaging opposing gangs to fight out for her; very prudent in hiding all her new found fortunes away and not talk to anyone unlike some real life lottery ticket winners !

In the face paced convoluted plots of comedy, suspense, horror, intrigue and humor, you will never experience a dull moment !

Great casting for this light hearted comedy !

Leading actress is wonderful playing the character.

As a Queens N.Y. native I see this everyday in Flushing Queens

When an ignored grandmother in New York's Chinatown decides to go to a casino, she becomes the target of a criminal syndicate. Sasie Sealy's "Lucky Grandma" is not at all the sort of movie that you ever expect to see, but you're sure to enjoy it. Mind you, most of it's in Chinese, so be ready to read subtitles. As long as you're OK with that, you'll have a great time with this movie.