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.
