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Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, this fantasy film from comedian the director, is struggling in theaters. Many reasons may account for its reception: Its generic name fails to express the movie's unique appeal. Its screenplay is often moralizing and obvious regarding its messages. Its performances are flat and staged, like the actors are reciting lines directly from the page. And, the film comes at a time of financial anxiety and inequality, which could render viewers not very open to a narrative which suggests wealthy people have all the advantages while the poor have heart.

But, this is where the movie excels: It's original, bold, imaginative, frequently humorous, and certainly relevant. And, it provides a enjoyable Keanu Reeves character-driven experience.

Keanu Reeves in the role of Guardian: A Familiar Performance

Personally, I've not considered Keanu Reeves a strong performer. His flat delivery and persistent look of slight perturbation has consistently felt one-note, regardless of the broad variety of characters he's played during the last 40 years. Astute filmmakers have cast him in roles in which his stoic nature works perfectly, including My Own Private Idaho to the sci-fi classic to the action series. But almost every one of these roles called for him to seem tough, closed-off, and detached.

In Good Fortune, the actor portrays Gabriel, one minor guardian celestial being assigned with looking after people that text while driving. His whole duty is sitting in his vehicles and gently touching their shoulders as they're close to have an accident, warning them in order that the driver brake before impact. However, while positioned high above his domain, gazing upon humanity similar to an alternative version of a celestial figure from Wim Wenders' renowned movie Wings of Desire, Gabriel gets ambitious. He desires to become an exceptional guardian and a savior of wayward souls.

A Unexpected Shift: Keanu Playing a Human

Therefore, Gabriel reveals himself to down-and-out handyman Arj (played by the director), who's living in a vehicle and cursing his life. The angel proceeds to swaps Arj into the existence of extremely wealthy tech mogul a character (acted by the comedian). This point behind the exercise is that the character to realize the wealthy man's life comes with significant drawbacks, and gratefully return to his original life, much like a figure in It's a Wonderful Life.

Issue is, Arj right away realizes how the mogul's problems (boring appointments, a pricey pool-heater bill) prove negligible and readily solved using money. Arj further sees that becoming rich provides endless opportunities for self-indulgent fun. The character shows zero interest in returning to his own situation, and the angel is unable to force him to return. Subsequently, additional bad news comes: Because of exceeding his duties and messing with the balance of the world, Gabriel loses his position as an angel role, and transformed to a mortal.

A Revelation: Keanu Reeves Smiles

Personally, I remained never persuaded by Reeves as an celestial being with big dreams and an intense desire to make a difference. Reeves delivers a familiar vaguely constipated acting he has consistently providing for at least the past 3 decades. Viewing Reeves as an celestial being who's just turned human for the first time, however, was highly entertaining, due to something that truly surprised me at first: This is an element different for Reeves. Or perhaps to be precise, an aspect from the past.

Early during the character's baffling career as a human, clinging to the wealthy character (whom Gabriel had swapped into Arj's precarious existence and jobless situation), Gabriel begins hesitantly trying out human activities like chewing and swallowing food. And Reeves grins. Authentically, cautiously, joyously smiles. (It's a lot more convincing than his grin shown in the poster, that appears digitally altered.)

The Reason That Smile Is Significant

The moment really took me aback to realize just how unexpected and welcome the smile was. When did we last audiences observed Keanu Reeves smile in a movie in which he wasn't showing ill will, sarcasm, or resentment? The actor likely tries it somewhere in the recent misbegotten the sequel, but I am not returning to the disappointment to find out. The actor has been stuck with grim, violent, broody, or simply solemn characters for so long that merely seeing Reeves smile seemed like observing an entirely different performer.

As the story goes on, the character ends up needing to get a kitchen position, a role that fails to provide sufficient to live on, and Gabriel starts smoking heavily due to frustration. Simply the image of Reeves in a cheap paper food-service cap, his recent signature long hair tied in an unglamorous bun, slouching on a wall and puffing on a smoke, is worth watching. His kitchen worker attire completely alters his appearance and posture: Suddenly, the lean, well-dressed physical powerhouse of the John Wick movies is awkward, unglamorous, and a lot increasingly human.

The Pleasure of Watching Keanu Relax

Good Fortune isn't always enjoyable to view, particularly when the director (that additionally wrote the screenplay) must find believable explanations for {Ar