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Good Fortune, the fantasy comedy from comedian the director, has been facing challenges in theaters. Many factors may explain its reception: The uninspired name fails to express the film's distinctive appeal. The screenplay can be preachy and obvious regarding the themes. Its acting are flat and staged, like the actors are reading dialogue directly from a script. And, the film comes during an era of economic uncertainty and disparity, which could render viewers not very receptive to a story that suggests rich people have every advantages while those in need possess spirit.

However, this is where the movie stands out: The film is original, bold, imaginative, frequently funny, and certainly relevant. And, it provides a enjoyable the actor hangout movie.

Reeves as an Guardian: A Familiar Portrayal

Personally, I've not considered Reeves a good performer. His monotonal delivery and persistent look of mild perturbation have consistently seemed limited, despite his broad variety of roles he's taken on over the last four decades of his career. Astute directors have often cast him in roles in which his rigidity works ideally, including his early work to the sci-fi classic to John Wick. But almost all of those characters called for Reeves to seem hardened, closed-off, or detached.

In Good Fortune, the actor portrays an angel, one minor protecting celestial being tasked with watching over individuals who text when driving. His whole job is sitting in his vehicles and gently making contact with their arms when they are about to crash, alerting them in order that the driver stop in time. But, while positioned overlooking his domain, gazing on the mortal world similar to an alternative interpretation of the angel from the director's renowned film Wings of Desire, the character becomes ambitious. Gabriel wants to be a great protector and rescuer of wayward individuals.

A Surprising Shift: Keanu Playing a Human

So, he reveals himself to down-and-out odd-jobber a character (portrayed by Aziz Ansari), who is residing out of his car and cursing his situation. Gabriel proceeds to exchanges the man into the existence of extremely wealthy businessman a character (played by the comedian). This point of the exercise is for the character would realize Jeff's life comes with major downsides, and gratefully return to his original life, much like a figure from It's a Wonderful Life.

Issue was, the character right away discovers that Jeff's problems (boring appointments, a pricey heating invoice) are minor and easily resolved using money. He also realizes how becoming affluent opens up endless chances for pleasurable fun. He shows zero desire in returning to his previous situation, and Gabriel is unable to compel Arj to go back. Subsequently, more bad news comes: Because of overstepping his duties and messing with the order of the world, the character is fired from his celestial job, and turned to a mortal.

A Revelation: The Actor Grins

I was never convinced by the actor playing an angel with grand dreams and a burning desire to effect change. Reeves turns in the same vaguely stiff performance he's consistently providing for at least the last three decades. Watching Reeves as an celestial being who's just become mortal initially, however, was highly entertaining, for a reason that really astonished me initially: It's an element new for Reeves. Or perhaps more accurately, something old.

Early into the character's baffling career as a mortal, staying with Jeff (who Gabriel exchanged into Arj's hand-to-mouth life and underemployed situation), the character begins tentatively trying out human activities such as eating and consuming meals. And Reeves smiles. Authentically, cautiously, joyously smiles. (It's far more convincing than his grin shown in the promotional image, which looks digitally altered.)

The Reason That Smile Is Significant

It truly took me aback to realize just how unexpected and welcome that expression was. At what point was the last time we saw the actor smile in a movie where he wasn't expressing ill will, irony, or resentment? The actor likely tries it somewhere in 2020's misbegotten Bill & Ted Face the Music, however I am not going to returning to that mess to find out. The actor has been stuck with grim, murderous, introspective, or simply solemn roles for so long that just seeing Reeves grin seemed like observing an entirely different actor.

While the story goes on, Gabriel finds himself needing to get a dishwashing position, a role that doesn't pay sufficient for survival, and he begins chain-smoking due to frustration. Just the image of the actor in a cheap paper restaurant hat, his recent trademark locks pulled back in an unglamorous ponytail, leaning against a building and smoking a smoke, is worth the price of admission. His dishwasher getup completely alters his appearance and posture: Unexpectedly, the lean, well-dressed action star of the John Wick movies is awkward, unglamorous, and much increasingly human.

A Joy of Viewing Reeves Relax

Good Fortune is not consistently fun to view, especially when the director (who additionally authored the script) has to find believable explanations for {Ar