Is this … a comedy? A thriller? A heartwarming drama about an eccentric old lady? A gangster picture? Sasie Sealy’s Lucky Grandma, about a scowling, take-no-shit widow (Tsai Chin) who winds up with a bag full of cash that may or may not belong to some Chinatown gangsters, has elements of all of these genres. Throughout, Sealy balances genuine danger with poker-faced playfulness; the director’s tonal control feels like a throwback to the deadpan indie comedies of the 1980s and ’90s, of films by the likes of Hal Hartley and Jim Jarmusch and Susan Seidelman. But what ultimately makes it all work so well is Tsai Chin’s endearingly gruff performance. The actress is probably best known stateside for her scene-stealing turn as Auntie Lindo in 1993’s The Joy Luck Club, but she’s had an absurdly distinguished career on at least three continents. Actress and director build a symphony out of Grandma Wong’s grimaces and her glares.
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