Written and directed by Charlotte native Sasie Sealy, Lucky Grandma is a pleasantly minor crime comedy rooted in a strong lead performance by Tsai Chin (The Joy Luck Club; Casino Royale).

Her quirky Grandma Wong is the latest in a long line of curmudgeons with a ubiquitous cigarette at the corner of their mouths, and her crabby attitude is likewise omnipresent. Chin’s engaging presence and Sealy’s palpable care put into the film’s visuals, editing, pace, and tone grant the character and her New York City Chinatown surroundings a rich, lived-in sense.

The same can’t be said, however, of the supporting players, little of which is known beyond minor details revealed through actions stemming from Grandma Wong’s theft of a bagful of money with ties to the local crime community.

Though basic character traits regarding teddy-bear bodyguard Big Pong (Hsiao-Yuan Ha), sadistic henchmen Little Handsome (Michael Tow) and Pock-Mark (Woody Fu), shrewd queenpin Sister Fong (Yan Xi), and Grandma Wong’s loving son Howard (Eddie Yu) may well sum up each person, the surface exploration makes Lucky Grandma feel like a mobster movie culled from other, better mobster movies than something authentic and distinct.

Despite these shortcomings, Sealy makes the most of her limited budget, employing neat tricks to achieve ambitious ends, including a dreamlike sauna sequence and multiple shootouts. The result is a solid, generally entertaining distraction, yet one without enough substance to inspire lasting memories.

Grade: B. Not rated, but with violence and adult language. Available to rent via the Fine Arts Theatre and Grail Moviehouse

(Photo: Eduardo Mayén/Good Deed Entertainment)