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Good Fortune, this fantasy film by actor Aziz Ansari, has been facing challenges at the box office. Several factors could explain the film's performance: Its generic name fails to convey its film's distinctive appeal. The screenplay can be moralizing and obvious with its themes. Its acting seem flat and staged, as if the cast are reciting lines directly from a script. Moreover, it arrives at a time marked by economic uncertainty and disparity, which could render viewers less open to a story that implies wealthy people enjoy all the advantages while those in need have spirit.

But, here's what the movie stands out: The film is unique, daring, creative, frequently funny, and certainly timely. Plus, it offers a enjoyable the actor character-driven experience.

Reeves in the role of Angel: His Typical Portrayal

I have never regarded Keanu Reeves a good actor. His monotonal delivery and persistent look of mild concern has consistently felt one-note, regardless of the broad variety of roles he has played during the past 40 years. Astute directors have often cast Reeves in roles in which his stoic nature fits ideally, including his early work to the sci-fi classic to the action series. But nearly every one of those roles required him to seem tough, closed-off, and detached.

Throughout the film, the actor plays an angel, one low-level protecting angel assigned with looking after people who text while behind the wheel. His whole job involves remaining in his cars and lightly touching the drivers' shoulders as they're about to crash, alerting them so they brake in time. However, while standing overlooking his domain, looking down upon the mortal world like a version of a celestial figure from Wim Wenders' classic film Wings of Desire, Gabriel gets ambitious. Gabriel desires to be an exceptional guardian and rescuer of wayward individuals.

The Surprising Shift: Keanu as a Human

Therefore, he presents his presence to struggling handyman a character (portrayed by Aziz Ansari), who's residing out of his car and resenting his life. The angel proceeds to exchanges the man with the life of extremely wealthy tech mogul Jeff (acted by Seth Rogen). The point of the exercise is for the character would understand the wealthy man's life comes with significant drawbacks, and gratefully go back to his original life, much like the character in the classic film.

Issue is, Arj right away discovers that Jeff's issues (boring meetings, a pricey pool-heater invoice) prove minor and easily resolved with money. Arj also realizes how becoming rich opens up limitless chances for self-indulgent fun. He shows zero interest in going back to his own life, and the angel is unable to force Arj to return. Subsequently, more trouble comes: For exceeding his mandate and disrupting the balance of the world, Gabriel is fired from his celestial role, and turned into a mortal.

A Discovery: The Actor Smiles

Personally, I remained never persuaded by the actor as an celestial being who has big dreams and a burning desire to effect change. Reeves delivers a familiar vaguely stiff acting he's consistently offering for no less than the past 3 decades. Watching Reeves as an angel who's just turned mortal initially, on the other hand, proved to be a blast, for a reason that truly astonished me initially: It's an element new for the actor. Or perhaps more accurately, something old.

Soon into his baffling career being a human, staying with Jeff (who Gabriel had swapped with the handyman's hand-to-mouth life and underemployed status), the character begins tentatively experimenting with human experiences like eating and swallowing meals. Then the actor smiles. Genuinely, cautiously, joyously smiles. (It's far more believable than his grin on the promotional image, which appears digitally altered.)

Why That Grin Matters

It truly surprised me to realize how surprising and welcome that smile felt. When did we last audiences saw Keanu Reeves smile in a movie in which he wasn't showing ill will, irony, or resentment? The actor probably tries a smile somewhere in the recent misbegotten the sequel, however I am not going to returning to that mess to find out. The actor has remained stuck with grim, violent, introspective, or just solemn roles for such a duration that just seeing Reeves grin felt like observing a completely different performer.

While the plot goes on, the character ends up having to take a kitchen job, a role that doesn't pay enough for survival, and he starts smoking heavily due to frustration. Just the sight of the actor in a cheap paper food-service hat, with his late-career trademark locks pulled back in an unglamorous ponytail, leaning against a building and puffing on a cigarette, proves worthy of the price of admission. His dishwasher getup totally alters his appearance and posture: Unexpectedly, the slim, suited action star of his famous films is awkward, ordinary, and much more human.

A Pleasure of Viewing Reeves Relax

The film is not always enjoyable to view, especially when the director (who additionally wrote the screenplay) must find believable reasons for {Ar