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Good Fortune, the fantasy film by actor Aziz Ansari, has been facing challenges in theaters. Several reasons may explain the film's performance: The uninspired title doesn't express its movie's distinctive charm. Its screenplay can be preachy and heavy-handed regarding the themes. The performances seem uninspired and presentational, like the cast are reciting lines directly from a script. Moreover, it arrives at a time of financial anxiety and inequality, which may render viewers not very receptive to a story which implies rich individuals enjoy all the advantages while those in need have spirit.

However, this is what the movie excels: It's original, daring, creative, often funny, and undoubtedly relevant. And, it offers a enjoyable Keanu Reeves hangout experience.

Reeves in the role of Guardian: A Familiar Performance

I have never regarded Reeves a strong performer. His flat delivery and consistent expression of mild perturbation has always felt one-note, despite his broad variety of roles he has played during the past 40 of his career. Astute directors have placed him in parts in which his rigidity works ideally, from his early work to the sci-fi classic to John Wick. But nearly all of those characters called for him to seem hardened, closed-off, and removed.

Throughout the film, Reeves portrays an angel, one minor protecting celestial being assigned with looking after people that use their phones while driving. The character's entire duty involves remaining in his cars and lightly making contact with the drivers' shoulders when they are close to have an accident, alerting the person so the driver brake before impact. But, when positioned overlooking the city, looking down on the mortal world like a interpretation of a celestial figure from Wim Wenders' renowned movie the angel story, Gabriel becomes aspirational. He wants to be an exceptional guardian and a savior of wayward individuals.

A Surprising Shift: Reeves Playing a Mortal

Therefore, he presents himself to struggling odd-jobber Arj (portrayed by Aziz Ansari), who's living in a vehicle and resenting his life. Gabriel proceeds to swaps the man with the existence of extremely rich tech mogul a character (played by Seth Rogen). This idea behind the experiment is for Arj would realize Jeff's existence comes with significant downsides, and gratefully go back to his original life, similar to the character from the classic film.

Problem was, the character immediately realizes how the mogul's problems (tedious appointments, expensive heating invoice) are minor and readily solved using wealth. He also sees that becoming rich opens up limitless chances for pleasurable fun. The character has no desire in going back to his previous situation, and the angel can't compel Arj to go back. Then, additional bad news arrives: For overstepping his mandate and disrupting the order of existence, the character loses his position as an angel role, and turned to a human being.

A Discovery: Keanu Reeves Smiles

Personally, I remained not convinced by the actor as an angel who has grand dreams and a burning wish to make a difference. Reeves turns in a familiar somewhat constipated acting he's consistently providing for no less than the last three ten-year periods. Watching him in the role of angel who's just become mortal for the first time, however, proved to be a blast, due to something which truly astonished me at first: It's something different for Reeves. Or to be precise, something old.

Early into the character's confusing career as a human, staying with Jeff (whom Gabriel exchanged into the handyman's hand-to-mouth life and underemployed status), the character starts hesitantly trying out human activities such as chewing and swallowing meals. And Reeves smiles. Genuinely, hesitantly, joyously beams. (This is far much convincing than his smile shown in the promotional image, that looks digitally altered.)

The Reason This Smile Is Significant

It truly took me aback to recognize how surprising and refreshing the smile was. At what point did we last audiences saw Keanu Reeves smile in a film where he wasn't showing ill will, irony, or bitterness? The actor likely attempts a smile somewhere in the recent ill-conceived the sequel, but I am not going to revisiting the mess to find out. Reeves has remained stuck with grim, violent, introspective, or simply serious characters for such a duration that just seeing Reeves smile felt like observing an entirely new actor.

As the plot goes on, the character finds himself having to get a kitchen position, a role that fails to provide sufficient to live on, and he begins smoking heavily out of frustration. Just the sight of Reeves in a cheap paper restaurant cap, with his recent signature long hair pulled back in a plain ponytail, slouching against a building and smoking a cigarette, is worth watching. The kitchen worker getup completely alters his appearance and posture: Unexpectedly, the lean, suited physical powerhouse of his famous films is awkward, ordinary, and much increasingly relatable.

A Pleasure of Watching Reeves Loosen Up

Good Fortune isn't consistently enjoyable to view, especially when Ansari (who also authored the script) must find believable reasons for {Ar