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Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, this fantasy comedy from actor the director, has been facing challenges in theaters. Many reasons may account for its reception: The generic title doesn't express the movie's unique charm. Its screenplay can be moralizing and heavy-handed with its messages. Its acting seem uninspired and presentational, like the actors are reading dialogue straight from a script. And, the film comes at a time of economic uncertainty and inequality, which may render viewers less receptive to a narrative that implies rich people have all the benefits while those in need possess heart.

However, this is what Good Fortune excels: The film is unique, bold, imaginative, often humorous, and certainly relevant. And, it offers an unexpectedly great the actor character-driven experience.

Reeves in the role of Angel: A Familiar Performance

I have not considered Reeves to be a good actor. The actor's flat speaking style and consistent expression of mild concern has always seemed limited, despite the wide range of roles he's played over the past four decades years. Smart directors have placed Reeves in parts in which that stoic nature fits ideally, from his early work to The Matrix to John Wick. But almost all of these characters called for him to appear hardened, closed-off, and removed.

In Good Fortune, the actor plays an angel, a minor protecting celestial being assigned with looking after people that text when behind the wheel. His entire duty is remaining in his vehicles and gently making contact with the drivers' shoulders when they are about to crash, warning them in order that they stop before impact. But, when positioned high above the city, gazing on the mortal world similar to a interpretation of the angel from the director's renowned film Wings of Desire, the character gets aspirational. He desires to be a great protector and rescuer of wayward souls.

The Surprising Turn: Reeves as a Human

So, he presents his presence to down-and-out odd-jobber a character (portrayed by the director), who is residing out of his car and cursing his situation. The angel proceeds to exchanges Arj into the life of stupidly wealthy tech mogul a character (acted by Seth Rogen). This idea behind the exercise is for Arj to understand Jeff's existence comes with major downsides, and thankfully return to his own life, similar to the character in It's a Wonderful Life.

Issue is, the character immediately discovers that Jeff's problems (boring appointments, expensive pool-heater invoice) prove negligible and readily resolved using money. He also sees how being affluent provides limitless opportunities for self-indulgent fun. He has zero interest in going back to his previous situation, and Gabriel is unable to compel him to return. Subsequently, more trouble arrives: For exceeding his duties and disrupting the order of existence, the character loses his position from his angel job, and turned to a human being.

A Discovery: The Actor Grins

Personally, I remained never persuaded by Reeves playing an angel with grand dreams and a burning wish to make a difference. He delivers a familiar somewhat constipated performance he has consistently providing for at least the past three ten-year periods. Watching Reeves in the role of celestial being who's just turned mortal for the first time, however, was highly entertaining, due to something that truly astonished me initially: This is something different for the actor. Or to be precise, something old.

Soon into his baffling career being a mortal, staying with Jeff (whom Gabriel had swapped into the handyman's precarious existence and underemployed situation), the character starts hesitantly experimenting with human activities such as chewing and consuming food. And Reeves smiles. Authentically, hesitantly, happily beams. (It's a lot more believable than his smile shown in the poster, which appears artificially added.)

The Reason That Smile Is Significant

The moment truly surprised me to recognize just how surprising and welcome the expression was. When did we last audiences observed the actor smile in a movie where he was not showing ill will, irony, or resentment? The actor likely tries a smile somewhere in the recent misbegotten Bill & Ted Face the Music, however I'm not going to revisiting that disappointment to find out. Reeves has remained typecast with serious, violent, broody, or simply serious characters for such a duration that just seeing him smile felt like observing a completely new performer.

As the story goes on, Gabriel finds himself needing to take a kitchen job, which fails to provide enough to live on, and Gabriel starts smoking heavily due to disappointment. Simply the sight of Reeves in a cheap paper restaurant cap, with his late-career trademark long hair tied in an unglamorous bun, slouching against a building and puffing on a smoke, is worth watching. The dishwasher getup completely alters his face and posture: Unexpectedly, the slim, well-dressed action star of his famous movies is gawky, ordinary, and much more relatable.

A Pleasure of Watching Keanu Loosen Up

The film isn't consistently fun to watch, particularly when the director (that also wrote the screenplay) has to create plausible explanations for {Ar