Thailand’s submission for the international Oscar category (the film has now made it on to the shortlist), How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is a crowd-pleasing family comedy drama that’s been a breakout success throughout Asia.
It’s a droll, perceptive and shamelessly sentimental look at generational tensions. M (Putthipong Assaratanakul), a cynical twentysomething university dropout, moves in with his ailing granny – a star-making turn from 78-year-old first-time actor Usha Seamkhum – in the hope of boosting his inheritance. But when M finds himself competing with his equally venal extended family for granny’s savings, he realises that the genuine affection that has developed between them is worth more than any cash windfall.
The film has spawned a viral trend of audience members posting footage of themselves weeping copiously after watching it; a cinema chain in Manila hit the news when it started handing out packs of tissues with tickets.
