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Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, this whimsical comedy by comedian the director, has been struggling in theaters. Many reasons may explain the film's performance: The generic name fails to express its film's distinctive charm. The screenplay can be preachy and obvious with its themes. Its acting are flat and staged, like the actors were reciting dialogue directly from a script. Moreover, the film comes during an era marked by economic anxiety and disparity, which could render viewers less open to a story that implies rich people enjoy all the advantages while those in need possess spirit.

But, here's where Good Fortune stands out: It's original, daring, imaginative, often funny, and certainly relevant. Plus, it offers a great Keanu Reeves hangout movie.

Keanu Reeves in the role of Angel: A Familiar Portrayal

Personally, I've not considered Reeves to be a strong performer. The actor's monotonal delivery and persistent look of mild perturbation have consistently seemed one-note, despite the wide range of roles he has taken on during the last 40 years. Astute filmmakers have often placed Reeves in parts in which that stoic nature fits ideally, from My Own Private Idaho to the sci-fi classic to the action series. But nearly every one of those characters called for him to appear tough, closed-off, or removed.

Throughout the film, Reeves portrays an angel, a low-level guardian angel tasked with looking after people who use their phones while behind the wheel. His whole duty involves sitting in their cars and gently making contact with their arms when they're about to crash, alerting the person in order that they stop in time. However, when positioned high above the city, looking down upon the mortal world like an alternative version of the angel in Wim Wenders' classic movie Wings of Desire, the character gets aspirational. He desires to be an exceptional protector and a savior of lost individuals.

The Unexpected Shift: Reeves Playing a Mortal

Therefore, he reveals himself to down-and-out odd-jobber a character (portrayed by the director), who's residing in a vehicle and cursing his situation. Gabriel proceeds to swaps the man with the life of extremely wealthy tech mogul Jeff (acted by the comedian). This idea of the experiment is for Arj would realize Jeff's life has significant downsides, and thankfully return to his original life, similar to the figure in It's a Wonderful Life.

Issue is, Arj immediately discovers that the mogul's problems (tedious meetings, a pricey heating bill) prove negligible and readily solved with money. He further sees that being rich opens up limitless opportunities for pleasurable enjoyment. He shows zero interest in returning to his previous situation, and Gabriel is unable to compel Arj to return. Subsequently, more bad news arrives: Because of overstepping his mandate and disrupting the order of the world, Gabriel is fired as an angel role, and transformed to a human being.

A Revelation: Keanu Reeves Smiles

Personally, I remained never persuaded by the actor as an angel who has big aspirations and a burning desire to make a difference. Reeves delivers a familiar somewhat stiff performance he's consistently offering for at least the last three ten-year periods. Viewing Reeves in the role of celestial being who's recently become human for the first time, on the other hand, was a blast, for a reason which really astonished me at first: It's an element new for Reeves. Or perhaps to be precise, something from the past.

Early during the character's confusing experience being a mortal, clinging to the wealthy character (whom Gabriel had swapped into the handyman's hand-to-mouth life and jobless status), Gabriel begins tentatively experimenting with human activities like chewing and consuming food. Then Reeves grins. Authentically, hesitantly, happily smiles. (This is far more convincing than the smile shown in the poster, that appears digitally altered.)

Why This Grin Is Significant

The moment truly took me aback to realize just how surprising and welcome the expression felt. At what point did we last audiences observed Keanu Reeves grin in a movie where he wasn't expressing malice, irony, or resentment? He probably tries it at some point in 2020's misbegotten the sequel, but I'm not revisiting that disappointment to find out. Reeves has remained typecast with grim, murderous, introspective, or just serious characters for so long that just seeing him grin felt like observing an entirely new performer.

While the story progresses, Gabriel ends up needing to get a dishwashing job, a role that fails to provide enough to live on, and he starts smoking heavily due to disappointment. Just the sight of the actor in a cheap paper restaurant cap, his late-career trademark locks tied in a plain ponytail, slouching against a wall and smoking a smoke, is worthy of watching. The dishwasher getup completely alters his appearance and body: Suddenly, the lean, well-dressed action star of the John Wick films becomes gawky, ordinary, and much increasingly human.

The Joy of Viewing Keanu Relax

The film is not always enjoyable to view, particularly when Ansari (who also authored the script) must find believable explanations for {Ar