🔗 Share this article

Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, this whimsical film by actor Aziz Ansari, has been struggling at the box office. Many reasons could account for its reception: Its generic name doesn't convey its movie's distinctive charm. Its script can be moralizing and heavy-handed regarding its themes. Its acting seem flat and staged, as if the cast are reading lines directly from the page. Moreover, it arrives at a time of financial anxiety and disparity, that may render audiences not very open to a story that suggests wealthy people have all the benefits while those in need have heart.

However, this is where Good Fortune stands out: The film is unique, daring, imaginative, often humorous, and certainly timely. Plus, it provides an unexpectedly great the actor character-driven movie.

Reeves as an Angel: A Familiar Performance

I have not considered Reeves to be a good actor. His flat speaking style and consistent expression of slight perturbation have always seemed one-note, despite his wide range of characters he has played over the last 40 of his career. Astute filmmakers have often cast him in roles where his stoic nature fits ideally, from his early work to the sci-fi classic to John Wick. But nearly all of these roles required Reeves to seem tough, distant, and detached.

Throughout the film, the actor plays an angel, a low-level guardian angel tasked with watching over individuals that text while driving. His entire job is remaining in his cars and lightly making contact with the drivers' arms when they're about to crash, alerting the person in order that the driver stop in time. But, when standing high above his domain, gazing upon the mortal world like a interpretation of the angel from Wim Wenders' classic film the angel story, the character gets aspirational. Gabriel wants to become an exceptional guardian and rescuer of wayward souls.

The Surprising Shift: Reeves as a Human

So, he presents his presence to down-and-out odd-jobber Arj (portrayed by Aziz Ansari), who is living in a vehicle and cursing his life. The angel proceeds to exchanges Arj into the life of stupidly wealthy tech mogul Jeff (acted by the comedian). This idea behind the experiment is that Arj to realize the wealthy man's existence comes with significant downsides, and gratefully go back to his original life, similar to a figure in the classic film.

Issue is, the character right away discovers that Jeff's problems (tedious meetings, a pricey pool-heater bill) are minor and readily resolved using wealth. Arj also sees that becoming affluent opens up limitless opportunities for pleasurable enjoyment. The character has no interest in going back to his own life, and the angel is unable to compel him to go back. Subsequently, additional bad news arrives: Because of overstepping his mandate and messing with the order of the world, the character loses his position from his angel role, and transformed to a human being.

A Revelation: Keanu Reeves Smiles

Personally, I remained not convinced by Reeves as an angel who has big dreams and an intense wish to make a difference. Reeves delivers the same vaguely constipated performance he has been offering for no less than the past three ten-year periods. Viewing Reeves in the role of celestial being that has recently become human for the first time, on the other hand, was highly entertaining, due to something that really surprised viewers at first: This is something new for the actor. Or more accurately, an aspect old.

Soon into the character's baffling career being a mortal, clinging to the wealthy character (whom Gabriel exchanged with the handyman's precarious existence and underemployed situation), the character begins tentatively trying out everyday experiences such as chewing and consuming food. Then Reeves grins. Genuinely, hesitantly, happily beams. (It's far more believable than the smile on the promotional image, that looks digitally altered.)

The Reason This Smile Matters

It truly surprised me to realize just how surprising and welcome the smile was. When did we last audiences observed Keanu Reeves smile in a film where he wasn't showing malice, sarcasm, or bitterness? He probably tries a smile at some point in the recent ill-conceived the sequel, however I'm not going to revisiting that disappointment to confirm. Reeves has been typecast with serious, violent, introspective, or just solemn characters for so long that merely seeing Reeves grin seemed like observing an entirely new actor.

As the plot progresses, Gabriel ends up needing to get a dishwashing job, a role that doesn't pay sufficient for survival, and Gabriel starts smoking heavily due to frustration. Simply the sight of the actor in a disposable paper restaurant cap, with his late-career signature long hair tied in a plain ponytail, slouching on a wall and puffing on a smoke, proves worth watching. His dishwasher attire completely changes his appearance and posture: Suddenly, the slim, suited action star of the John Wick movies is awkward, unglamorous, and much increasingly relatable.

The Joy of Viewing Reeves Loosen Up

The film isn't consistently enjoyable to watch, particularly when Ansari (that additionally authored the script) has to create plausible explanations for {Ar