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Good Fortune, this fantasy film from comedian Aziz Ansari, has been struggling in theaters. Many factors may explain its performance: The generic name fails to convey its film's distinctive charm. The script is often preachy and obvious regarding the messages. The performances seem flat and presentational, like the actors were reciting dialogue straight from the page. Moreover, the film comes during an era of financial uncertainty and disparity, that may make audiences less open to a narrative that implies rich individuals enjoy every advantages while the poor have spirit.

However, here's what the movie excels: It's original, bold, imaginative, frequently funny, and certainly relevant. Plus, it offers an unexpectedly great the actor hangout movie.

Keanu Reeves as an Guardian: His Typical Performance

I have not regarded Reeves to be a good actor. The actor's flat speaking style and consistent look of slight concern has consistently felt limited, regardless of his broad variety of roles he has played over the last 40 of his career. Astute directors have often placed him in roles in which his rigidity fits ideally, from My Own Private Idaho to The Matrix to the action series. Yet nearly every one of these characters called for Reeves to seem hardened, distant, or detached.

Throughout Good Fortune, Reeves portrays an angel, one minor guardian celestial being assigned with watching over individuals who use their phones while behind the wheel. The character's entire job is sitting in his vehicles and gently touching their shoulders when they are close to crash, warning them in order that the driver stop before impact. However, while standing high above his domain, looking down upon the mortal world similar to an alternative version of the angel from the director's renowned movie the angel story, Gabriel gets ambitious. He wants to be a great protector and a savior of lost souls.

The Surprising Shift: Reeves as a Human

So, Gabriel reveals his presence to down-and-out odd-jobber Arj (played by Aziz Ansari), who is residing in his car and cursing his life. Gabriel then exchanges the man into the life of stupidly rich businessman Jeff (played by Seth Rogen). The idea of the exercise is that the character to realize the wealthy man's life comes with major downsides, and thankfully return to his original life, much like a figure from the classic film.

Issue was, Arj right away realizes that the mogul's issues (boring meetings, a pricey heating invoice) are negligible and readily solved with wealth. Arj also realizes that becoming rich opens up endless opportunities for pleasurable fun. He has no desire in going back to his own situation, and Gabriel is unable to compel him to return. Subsequently, additional trouble arrives: Because of overstepping his duties and messing with the order of the world, Gabriel is fired from his angel role, and transformed to a mortal.

The Revelation: Keanu Reeves Grins

I was not persuaded by Reeves playing an celestial being with big aspirations and a burning desire to effect change. He delivers the same vaguely stiff performance he's been providing for no less than the past 3 ten-year periods. Viewing him as an celestial being who's just turned human for the first time, on the other hand, proved to be a blast, due to something that really surprised me at first: It's an element new for the actor. Or more accurately, an aspect from the past.

Soon during his baffling experience as a mortal, staying with Jeff (whom the angel exchanged into Arj's precarious life and jobless situation), the character starts hesitantly experimenting with human experiences such as chewing and consuming food. Then the actor smiles. Genuinely, hesitantly, joyously beams. (It's a lot more convincing than the smile on the promotional image, that appears digitally altered.)

The Reason That Grin Is Significant

The moment truly took me aback to recognize just how unexpected and welcome that smile was. When did we last we observed Keanu Reeves smile in a movie in which he wasn't showing ill will, irony, or bitterness? The actor probably attempts it at some point in the recent ill-conceived Bill & Ted Face the Music, but I'm not going to returning to that disappointment to confirm. The actor has remained typecast with serious, murderous, introspective, or simply solemn roles for so long that just watching Reeves grin felt like seeing a completely new actor.

While the story goes on, Gabriel ends up having to get a dishwashing position, a role that doesn't pay sufficient to live on, and he begins chain-smoking out of frustration. Just the sight of the actor in a cheap plastic food-service hat, his recent trademark locks pulled back in an unglamorous bun, slouching on a wall and puffing on a smoke, is worth the price of admission. His kitchen worker getup completely alters his appearance and posture: Unexpectedly, the slim, well-dressed physical powerhouse of his famous movies becomes awkward, ordinary, and a lot increasingly relatable.

The Pleasure of Watching Keanu Loosen Up

The film is not consistently fun to view, particularly when Ansari (who additionally authored the script) has to create plausible explanations for {Ar