32/24
A man quits his job to care for his dying grandmother, motivated by her wealth. He plans to win her favor before she dies. This is actually the directorial debut of 78-year-old housewife Usa Semkhum, who plays grandmother Mena Zhu. M: Do you ever feel lonely? Amah: I wouldn’t call it loneliness. It’s part of the process of life. Amah: I have a problem with the day after Chinese New Year. When all the leftovers from the night before are in the fridge and I know I’m going to have to eat them all by myself. No matter how hard you try to hold back the tears, there’s a good chance the wall will eventually collapse against the backdrop of a van waving so sweetly goodbye. Watching this scene begs the question. Are the tears flowing because the film is well-made, or simply because viewers (including me) immediately associate the events on screen with personal memories? The answer is “both.” How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies seems appealing because of its deep understanding of family dynamics, especially in Asian families. How inheritance can erase attachment, how gatherings at grandma’s house are always a warm and welcome moment, how grandma eagerly awaits the arrival of children and grandchildren dressed in her best clothes, and how the loneliness after being together is so piercing, especially for the elderly who live alone. Memories of all the times spent together are a truly precious legacy.