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Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, the whimsical film by actor Aziz Ansari, is struggling at the box office. Several factors could account for the film's reception: Its uninspired title doesn't express the movie's unique appeal. Its screenplay can be moralizing and heavy-handed with the themes. The performances seem uninspired and presentational, like the actors were reading dialogue directly from a script. And, it arrives during an era marked by financial uncertainty and disparity, which may render audiences less open to a narrative which suggests rich people enjoy all the benefits while the poor have spirit.

However, this is what the movie stands out: It's unique, daring, imaginative, often humorous, and certainly timely. And, it provides an unexpectedly great the actor hangout experience.

Reeves as an Guardian: A Familiar Performance

I have never considered Reeves to be a good performer. His monotonal speaking style and consistent look of slight concern have consistently seemed one-note, regardless of the wide variety of characters he's taken on during the past 40 of his career. Smart directors have cast him in parts in which his stoic nature fits ideally, including My Own Private Idaho to The Matrix to John Wick. But nearly all of these roles called for him to seem hardened, distant, and removed.

Throughout Good Fortune, the actor plays Gabriel, a minor guardian celestial being tasked with looking after people that text when behind the wheel. His whole duty is sitting in his vehicles and lightly touching the drivers' arms as they are close to have an accident, warning the person in order that they stop in time. But, while standing overlooking the city, gazing on the mortal world similar to an alternative version of a celestial figure from Wim Wenders' renowned movie the angel story, Gabriel gets ambitious. He desires to be an exceptional protector and rescuer of wayward individuals.

The Surprising Turn: Keanu Playing a Human

So, Gabriel presents his presence to down-and-out odd-jobber a character (portrayed by Aziz Ansari), who is living out of a vehicle and resenting his situation. The angel then exchanges Arj with the existence of extremely rich businessman Jeff (acted by the comedian). This point of the exercise was for the character to understand Jeff's life has major drawbacks, and gratefully return to his own circumstances, similar to a character in It's a Wonderful Life.

Issue was, the character immediately discovers that Jeff's problems (boring meetings, a pricey pool-heater invoice) are minor and readily solved with wealth. He further realizes that becoming rich provides endless chances for self-indulgent fun. The character shows no desire in returning to his previous life, and Gabriel can't force him to go back. Subsequently, more trouble arrives: For exceeding his mandate and messing with the order of existence, the character is fired from his celestial job, and transformed into a mortal.

A Revelation: Keanu Reeves Smiles

Personally, I remained not convinced by Reeves playing an angel who has grand dreams and a burning wish to effect change. Reeves delivers a familiar vaguely stiff performance he's consistently offering for at least the past three decades. Watching him in the role of celestial being that has recently become human for the first time, however, proved to be highly entertaining, due to something which really astonished me initially: This is something different for Reeves. Or more accurately, something from the past.

Early during the character's confusing career as a mortal, clinging to Jeff (whom Gabriel exchanged with Arj's hand-to-mouth life and jobless situation), Gabriel begins tentatively experimenting with human experiences such as eating and swallowing meals. And Reeves grins. Genuinely, hesitantly, joyously smiles. (It's a lot more convincing than the smile on the poster, that appears artificially added.)

Why This Smile Is Significant

The moment truly took me aback to recognize how surprising and refreshing that smile felt. At what point was the last time audiences observed Keanu Reeves smile in a movie where he was not expressing ill will, irony, or bitterness? The actor probably attempts a smile somewhere in the recent ill-conceived Bill & Ted Face the Music, however I am not going to revisiting the mess to find out. Reeves has remained typecast with grim, violent, introspective, or just solemn characters for such a duration that merely watching Reeves grin seemed like seeing a completely new performer.

As the plot goes on, Gabriel ends up needing to get a dishwashing position, which fails to provide sufficient to live on, and Gabriel starts smoking heavily out of frustration. Simply the image of the actor in a disposable paper food-service cap, with his late-career trademark long hair tied in a plain bun, leaning against a wall and smoking a smoke, proves worthy of watching. His dishwasher attire completely changes his face and body: Suddenly, the slim, suited action star of his famous movies becomes awkward, unglamorous, and a lot more human.

The Joy of Watching Keanu Relax

The film isn't always fun to view, particularly when Ansari (who also wrote the script) has to create believable reasons for {Ar