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Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, this whimsical comedy by comedian the director, has been facing challenges in theaters. Several reasons could explain its reception: Its generic title doesn't convey its film's unique appeal. The script can be moralizing and heavy-handed with the themes. Its acting seem uninspired and presentational, as if the cast were reciting dialogue directly from the page. And, it arrives during an era marked by economic anxiety and inequality, which could render audiences not very receptive to a story which suggests wealthy individuals have all the benefits while those in need possess spirit.

But, this is what Good Fortune stands out: It's unique, bold, imaginative, often humorous, and certainly timely. And, it provides an unexpectedly enjoyable the actor hangout experience.

Reeves in the role of Guardian: His Typical Portrayal

Personally, I've never considered Reeves to be a good actor. His monotonal delivery and persistent look of mild perturbation have consistently felt one-note, despite the wide range of roles he's played during the past 40 of his career. Astute filmmakers have often placed him in parts where that rigidity fits ideally, from My Own Private Idaho to the sci-fi classic to the action series. But almost all of those roles required him to seem hardened, distant, and removed.

Throughout Good Fortune, Reeves plays Gabriel, a low-level protecting angel tasked with watching over people that text while driving. The character's entire job is sitting in their cars and lightly making contact with their arms when they're about to crash, warning them so they brake in time. But, when standing overlooking his domain, looking down upon the mortal world like a version of a celestial figure in the director's classic film Wings of Desire, the character becomes aspirational. He desires to be a great guardian and rescuer of wayward individuals.

The Unexpected Shift: Keanu Playing a Mortal

So, Gabriel presents himself to down-and-out handyman a character (played by Aziz Ansari), who is living in a vehicle and resenting his situation. The angel proceeds to exchanges Arj with the existence of stupidly wealthy businessman Jeff (acted by Seth Rogen). The point of the experiment was that Arj to understand the wealthy man's existence comes with significant downsides, and thankfully go back to his own life, similar to the character in It's a Wonderful Life.

Problem was, the character immediately discovers that Jeff's issues (tedious meetings, expensive pool-heater invoice) prove minor and readily resolved with wealth. Arj also realizes how being affluent provides limitless chances for pleasurable fun. The character shows no desire in going back to his previous life, and the angel can't force Arj to go back. Subsequently, additional bad news arrives: Because of exceeding his mandate and disrupting the order of the world, Gabriel is fired from his angel role, and transformed to a mortal.

A Discovery: The Actor Grins

Personally, I remained not convinced by Reeves playing an angel with big dreams and a burning wish to effect change. He turns in the same vaguely stiff acting he's consistently offering for no less than the last three decades. Watching him as an celestial being that has just turned human initially, on the other hand, proved to be highly entertaining, due to something that really astonished viewers initially: This is an element different for Reeves. Or perhaps to be precise, something old.

Soon into his baffling experience being a mortal, clinging to Jeff (who the angel exchanged with the handyman's hand-to-mouth existence and jobless status), the character begins hesitantly experimenting with human activities such as eating and swallowing meals. Then Reeves smiles. Genuinely, cautiously, joyously beams. (This is a lot more convincing than his grin on the poster, which looks digitally altered.)

The Reason That Smile Matters

The moment truly surprised me to recognize how surprising and welcome that expression felt. When did we last audiences observed the actor grin in a movie where he was not expressing malice, irony, or resentment? The actor probably attempts a smile somewhere in the recent ill-conceived Bill & Ted Face the Music, but I am not returning to the mess to confirm. The actor has remained stuck with serious, murderous, broody, or simply serious characters for so long that just seeing Reeves smile felt like observing a completely new actor.

While the plot progresses, the character ends up having to get a kitchen job, which fails to provide sufficient for survival, and he begins chain-smoking due to disappointment. Simply the image of the actor in a disposable plastic restaurant hat, his late-career signature locks pulled back in a plain ponytail, slouching against a wall and puffing on a cigarette, is worthy of the price of admission. The dishwasher attire completely changes his appearance and body: Suddenly, the slim, suited physical powerhouse of the John Wick films is awkward, unglamorous, and much increasingly human.

A Pleasure of Watching Keanu Loosen Up

The film is not always enjoyable to watch, particularly when Ansari (that additionally authored the script) must create plausible explanations for {Ar