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Good Fortune, this fantasy film by comedian Aziz Ansari, is facing challenges at the box office. Several reasons could explain the film's reception: The generic title doesn't convey the film's unique charm. Its screenplay is often moralizing and heavy-handed with its messages. Its acting are uninspired and staged, as if the actors were reciting dialogue straight from the page. Moreover, it arrives during an era marked by economic anxiety and inequality, that could make viewers less open to a narrative which suggests wealthy individuals have every benefits while the poor possess heart.

However, here's where Good Fortune excels: It's unique, bold, creative, frequently funny, and undoubtedly timely. And, it provides a great Keanu Reeves hangout movie.

Reeves as an Guardian: His Typical Performance

I have not considered Reeves a good actor. His monotonal speaking style and consistent look of mild perturbation has always seemed one-note, despite his wide variety of characters he has played over the past four decades years. Astute directors have cast Reeves in roles where that rigidity fits perfectly, from My Own Private Idaho to the sci-fi classic to the action series. But almost all of these roles required him to appear hardened, closed-off, or removed.

Throughout the film, the actor plays an angel, one low-level protecting celestial being tasked with watching over people who text while driving. The character's entire job involves remaining in their vehicles and lightly making contact with their arms when they're about to have an accident, warning the person so the driver brake before impact. However, while positioned overlooking the city, looking down on the mortal world similar to a version of a celestial figure from the director's classic film Wings of Desire, the character becomes ambitious. Gabriel desires to become a great guardian and rescuer of wayward individuals.

A Surprising Turn: Keanu Playing a Human

Therefore, Gabriel reveals his presence to down-and-out handyman a character (played by the director), who is living in his car and cursing his situation. The angel proceeds to swaps Arj with the existence of extremely wealthy businessman a character (acted by the comedian). The point of the exercise was for Arj to understand Jeff's life has major drawbacks, and thankfully go back to his original circumstances, similar to the character in It's a Wonderful Life.

Problem was, Arj immediately realizes that the mogul's problems (boring meetings, a pricey heating invoice) prove negligible and easily resolved with money. Arj also realizes that being rich provides endless chances for pleasurable enjoyment. He has no desire in going back to his previous situation, and Gabriel is unable to compel him to go back. Subsequently, more bad news comes: For overstepping his duties and messing with the order of the world, Gabriel is fired from his angel job, and transformed into a mortal.

A Revelation: Keanu Reeves Grins

Personally, I remained never convinced by Reeves as an celestial being with big dreams and an intense desire to effect change. He turns in a familiar vaguely stiff acting he has been providing for at least the past three ten-year periods. Viewing Reeves as an celestial being who's recently become mortal for the first time, on the other hand, proved to be highly entertaining, for a reason which truly surprised me initially: This is an element different for Reeves. Or perhaps to be precise, an aspect old.

Early during his confusing career as a mortal, clinging to the wealthy character (whom Gabriel had swapped into the handyman's precarious life and underemployed situation), the character begins hesitantly trying out human activities such as chewing and swallowing food. And Reeves grins. Genuinely, cautiously, joyously beams. (It's a lot much believable than the grin shown in the poster, which looks artificially added.)

Why This Smile Matters

It really surprised me to realize just how surprising and refreshing the smile felt. At what point did we last we observed the actor smile in a movie where he wasn't expressing malice, irony, or bitterness? The actor likely attempts it at some point in 2020's ill-conceived the sequel, however I am not going to returning to that disappointment to find out. The actor has remained typecast with serious, murderous, broody, or just solemn roles for so long that just seeing him smile seemed like seeing an entirely different performer.

As the story goes on, Gabriel finds himself having to take a dishwashing job, a role that fails to provide enough for survival, and he begins chain-smoking out of frustration. Just the sight of Reeves in a disposable plastic food-service hat, his recent signature long hair tied in a plain ponytail, leaning on a building and puffing on a smoke, proves worth watching. His kitchen worker getup completely changes his face and body: Suddenly, the slim, suited physical powerhouse of his famous movies becomes gawky, unglamorous, and a lot more relatable.

A Joy of Watching Reeves Loosen Up

The film is not consistently fun to watch, especially when the director (that also wrote the screenplay) has to find believable explanations for {Ar