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Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, the fantasy comedy by comedian the director, has been facing challenges in theaters. Several reasons may explain its reception: Its generic title fails to convey its film's distinctive charm. Its screenplay is often preachy and heavy-handed with its messages. The acting are uninspired and staged, as if the actors were reading lines straight from the page. And, it arrives at a time of economic anxiety and inequality, which may render audiences not very receptive to a story which suggests wealthy people have all the benefits while those in need possess spirit.

However, here's where Good Fortune excels: It's original, bold, creative, often funny, and certainly relevant. Plus, it provides a great the actor character-driven movie.

Reeves as an Guardian: A Familiar Portrayal

Personally, I've never considered Reeves a strong performer. His flat delivery and consistent look of mild concern have always seemed limited, despite his wide range of roles he has played during the last four decades years. Astute directors have cast Reeves in roles in which his stoic nature fits perfectly, including My Own Private Idaho to The Matrix to John Wick. Yet almost all of those roles required Reeves to seem hardened, closed-off, or detached.

In the film, the actor portrays an angel, one minor guardian celestial being tasked with watching over people who use their phones while driving. The character's whole job is sitting in their vehicles and lightly touching the drivers' arms as they're close to have an accident, warning the person in order that they stop in time. But, when positioned high above the city, looking down upon the mortal world like a version of a celestial figure from the director's classic movie the angel story, Gabriel gets aspirational. He desires to become a great guardian and rescuer of lost souls.

A Surprising Turn: Reeves Playing a Mortal

Therefore, he presents himself to struggling handyman a character (portrayed by Aziz Ansari), who is residing out of a vehicle and resenting his life. The angel then exchanges Arj into the existence of stupidly rich tech mogul Jeff (played by the comedian). The idea behind the experiment is for Arj to understand the wealthy man's existence has significant downsides, and gratefully return to his original life, similar to a character from It's a Wonderful Life.

Issue is, the character right away discovers how Jeff's issues (tedious appointments, expensive pool-heater invoice) are minor and easily resolved with wealth. He also realizes that becoming rich provides limitless opportunities for pleasurable enjoyment. He shows zero interest in going back to his own life, and Gabriel can't force Arj to go back. Subsequently, additional bad news arrives: Because of exceeding his mandate and messing with the balance of existence, Gabriel loses his position from his celestial role, and transformed to a mortal.

The Discovery: The Actor Smiles

I was never convinced by Reeves playing an angel who has big dreams and a burning wish to effect change. He delivers the same somewhat stiff performance he has consistently providing for no less than the past three decades. Watching Reeves in the role of celestial being that has just turned mortal initially, however, proved to be a blast, for a reason which really astonished viewers initially: It's an element new for the actor. Or perhaps more accurately, something from the past.

Soon into his confusing experience being a human, staying with the wealthy character (who the angel had swapped into the handyman's precarious life and underemployed status), the character begins tentatively trying out everyday experiences like eating and consuming food. Then Reeves grins. Genuinely, hesitantly, happily smiles. (This is far more believable than his smile shown in the promotional image, that looks artificially added.)

The Reason This Grin Is Significant

It really surprised me to realize just how unexpected and welcome that smile felt. At what point was the last time we saw the actor grin in a movie in which he was not expressing ill will, sarcasm, or resentment? He probably tries it at some point in the recent ill-conceived the sequel, however I'm not returning to that disappointment to confirm. Reeves has remained typecast with serious, violent, broody, or just solemn characters for such a duration that just seeing him smile seemed like observing a completely different performer.

While the story progresses, Gabriel ends up having to take a kitchen position, which doesn't pay sufficient to live on, and he starts smoking heavily out of disappointment. Simply the image of Reeves in a cheap plastic food-service cap, with his recent signature locks tied in an unglamorous bun, leaning on a wall and smoking a cigarette, proves worth the price of admission. His dishwasher attire completely changes his appearance and body: Unexpectedly, the slim, well-dressed action star of his famous movies is awkward, unglamorous, and much increasingly human.

A Pleasure of Watching Keanu Relax

Good Fortune isn't consistently fun to view, particularly when the director (that additionally authored the script) has to create plausible explanations for {Ar