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Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, this fantasy film from actor Aziz Ansari, is struggling at the box office. Several reasons may account for the film's reception: The generic title fails to convey its film's distinctive charm. The script can be preachy and obvious with its themes. The acting are uninspired and staged, as if the cast are reading lines directly from the page. And, the film comes during an era of financial uncertainty and disparity, which could make viewers not very open to a story which implies wealthy individuals have all the benefits while those in need have heart.

But, here's where Good Fortune stands out: The film is unique, daring, creative, frequently funny, and certainly relevant. And, it offers an unexpectedly enjoyable Keanu Reeves character-driven experience.

Keanu Reeves as an Angel: A Familiar Portrayal

Personally, I've not regarded Keanu Reeves a strong actor. His monotonal delivery and persistent expression of mild perturbation have always seemed one-note, despite the wide variety of characters he's taken on during the last 40 of his career. Astute directors have often placed him in roles in which his rigidity fits ideally, including his early work to The Matrix to the action series. Yet nearly every one of those characters required him to seem hardened, distant, or detached.

In the film, Reeves portrays an angel, a minor protecting angel assigned with watching over individuals that text while driving. His entire job is remaining in his vehicles and lightly making contact with the drivers' shoulders as they're close to crash, warning them so the driver stop in time. However, while positioned overlooking his domain, gazing upon humanity like an alternative interpretation of the angel in the director's renowned film the angel story, Gabriel becomes aspirational. Gabriel desires to be a great guardian and rescuer of lost individuals.

The Unexpected Shift: Keanu Playing a Human

Therefore, he reveals his presence to struggling handyman a character (portrayed by the director), who's living out of a vehicle and resenting his life. The angel proceeds to exchanges Arj with the life of extremely rich businessman Jeff (played by the comedian). This point of the experiment was that the character to realize the wealthy man's life comes with major drawbacks, and thankfully return to his original life, much like a character from the classic film.

Problem was, the character immediately discovers that the mogul's problems (boring appointments, a pricey pool-heater bill) prove negligible and easily resolved with wealth. Arj also realizes that becoming rich provides limitless opportunities for pleasurable enjoyment. He has no desire in returning to his own situation, and Gabriel is unable to compel him to go back. Then, more trouble arrives: Because of overstepping his mandate and messing with the balance of existence, Gabriel is fired as an angel role, and transformed to a mortal.

A Discovery: Keanu Reeves Smiles

I was not convinced by the actor playing an angel who has big dreams and a burning desire to make a difference. He turns in a familiar somewhat constipated acting he has consistently providing for at least the past three ten-year periods. Viewing him in the role of angel that has just turned mortal for the first time, on the other hand, was a blast, for a reason which really surprised me initially: It's something different for the actor. Or perhaps more accurately, an aspect from the past.

Early into his confusing career as a mortal, clinging to the wealthy character (whom the angel exchanged with Arj's precarious life and underemployed status), the character begins hesitantly experimenting with human activities like eating and swallowing food. And Reeves grins. Genuinely, hesitantly, joyously smiles. (This is far much convincing than the smile on the promotional image, which looks artificially added.)

The Reason That Smile Matters

The moment really surprised me to recognize how surprising and refreshing the smile felt. When was the last time we observed the actor smile in a movie where he wasn't showing malice, irony, or resentment? The actor probably tries it somewhere in the recent misbegotten Bill & Ted Face the Music, however I am not going to revisiting the mess to find out. The actor has been stuck with grim, violent, introspective, or simply serious characters for such a duration that merely watching Reeves grin seemed like observing a completely different performer.

As the story goes on, Gabriel finds himself having to take a dishwashing job, which fails to provide enough to live on, and Gabriel starts chain-smoking out of frustration. Just the image of the actor in a cheap plastic restaurant hat, with his late-career trademark locks pulled back in an unglamorous ponytail, leaning on a building and puffing on a cigarette, proves worthy of the price of admission. The dishwasher getup completely changes his appearance and posture: Suddenly, the slim, well-dressed action star of his famous movies is awkward, unglamorous, and much increasingly human.

The Joy of Watching Keanu Loosen Up

The film isn't consistently enjoyable to watch, particularly when Ansari (who also wrote the script) must create plausible explanations for {Ar