A man quits his job to care for his dying grandmother, motivated by her wealth. He plans to win her favor before she dies. In fact, this is the film debut of 78-year-old housewife Usa Semkhum, who plays grandmother Mena Zhu. M: Have you ever felt 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 alone. Esteemed film critic Roger Ebert once said that movies are powerful empathy-generating machines, a statement I wholeheartedly agree with, and there’s no better demonstration of this phenomenon than How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies. Emotional swings and rollercoasters, what a ride it was! Writer-director Pat Bonnitipat didn’t even try to reinvent the wheel. You know exactly what’s going to happen at the end; There’s no definitive panacea (here’s looking at you, queen of tears), no “always darkest before the dawn” ending, and no final twist (there is a twist of sorts, but Cho whispered to me an hour before she dropped what the twist would be, and of course she was right. How does she do that every time?), but it’s a testament to great storytelling because you don’t need twists, flashy cinematography, full orchestration, a CGI dream sequence, or an entire sequence of amazing food to serve up. You just need authenticity without artifice. The film’s greatest asset is its relatability. If you were born into an Asian family with ancestral roots that stretch far and wide, you’ll feel familiar with all the characters. You might see manifestations of your relatives and family here—the patient daughter, the son who feels that problems that can be solved with money aren’t problems at all, the calculating daughter-in-law, the worthless son, and the kid whose eyes are glued to the computer screen. The story is fictional but feels real as the family dynamics are closely watched as the matriarch’s death is imminent and the vultures begin to circle. Grandma is no fool, she knows why she is in the spotlight and even M is not spared when she tells her, “You plant seeds in the hope that you will reap them too, don’t you?” The actors who brought their characters to life. I am surprised that this is Usha Seamkhum’s first role. She is so natural without the slightest bit of gimmickry. Putthipong “Billkin” Assaratanakul is the perfect foil for Amaha’s no-nonsense approach to life. You will follow his circle eagerly knowing that he will be smart in the way he lives and when that moment comes it will be so subtle that you will know that it is the sum total of Amah’s many interactions with him. While the plot is simple, I have my doubts. Anyone will find it boring. As you move towards the inevitable end, this will happen – the tears will flow, but know that every drop will be deserved, as will every laugh. In fact, this is currently the highest-grossing film in Thailand and Indonesia, which shows that it has resonated with many audiences. This is the rare film that Cho and I were still talking about over breakfast this morning, probably because we didn’t want the magic to wear off as we desperately tried to hold on to the threads of a heartfelt story. You’ll be surprised to learn that we can still detect vignettes of truth after a good night’s sleep, like a quick scene with a monk in a wheelchair in a chemotherapy clinic, as if to suggest that the disease affects everyone, even the devoutly religious, or the scene where Amah goes to see her estranged brother to borrow money for a funeral. My theory is that Ama already knows the outcome, but she still wants M to learn a hard life lesson. School is out.