Allow Keanu Reeves Grin More Often: A Look at the Actor's Performance in Good Fortune

Good Fortune, this whimsical comedy by comedian Aziz Ansari, is struggling in theaters. Several factors may account for its performance: Its generic title fails to convey its film's distinctive appeal. Its screenplay is often moralizing and obvious regarding its themes. Its performances are flat and presentational, as if the cast were reading dialogue directly from a script. Moreover, the film comes at a time marked by economic uncertainty and inequality, that may render audiences not very open to a narrative that suggests wealthy individuals enjoy every benefits while those in need possess spirit.

However, this is where Good Fortune excels: The film is original, bold, imaginative, frequently funny, and undoubtedly relevant. Plus, it provides a enjoyable Keanu Reeves hangout movie.

Keanu Reeves as an Guardian: His Typical Portrayal

I have not considered Keanu Reeves to be a good performer. The actor's flat speaking style and consistent look of slight concern have consistently seemed one-note, despite the broad variety of roles he's taken on over the last four decades years. Astute filmmakers have often cast Reeves in parts where his rigidity works perfectly, including his early work to The Matrix to John Wick. Yet almost all of those roles called for Reeves to appear hardened, closed-off, and detached.

In Good Fortune, the actor plays Gabriel, a low-level protecting celestial being tasked with looking after people who text while driving. His entire job is remaining in his vehicles and gently touching the drivers' shoulders when they are close to have an accident, alerting them so the driver stop before impact. However, while standing overlooking his domain, gazing upon the mortal world similar to a interpretation of the angel in Wim Wenders' classic movie Wings of Desire, Gabriel becomes ambitious. He desires to become a great protector and rescuer of wayward souls.

A Surprising Turn: Keanu Playing a Mortal

So, Gabriel reveals his presence to down-and-out handyman a character (played by Aziz Ansari), who's residing out of a vehicle and cursing his life. The angel proceeds to swaps Arj with the existence of stupidly rich businessman a character (played by Seth Rogen). The point behind the exercise is that the character to realize Jeff's life comes with major downsides, and thankfully return to his original life, similar to a character from It's a Wonderful Life.

Issue is, the character immediately discovers that Jeff's problems (boring appointments, a pricey heating invoice) are minor and easily solved with wealth. Arj further realizes that being affluent provides limitless opportunities for pleasurable fun. He shows no interest in returning to his own situation, and the angel can't force Arj to return. Subsequently, additional trouble arrives: Because of overstepping his duties and disrupting the order of the world, Gabriel is fired as an angel role, and transformed into a mortal.

A Revelation: Keanu Reeves Grins

Personally, I remained never persuaded by Reeves playing an angel who has grand aspirations and a burning wish to make a difference. He delivers the same somewhat stiff acting he has been offering for no less than the past 3 decades. Watching him as an angel who's recently turned human for the first time, however, proved to be a blast, due to something which truly astonished viewers initially: This is an element different for the actor. Or to be precise, something from the past.

Soon into the character's baffling career as a human, clinging to the wealthy character (who the angel exchanged with Arj's hand-to-mouth life and underemployed situation), the character begins hesitantly trying out human activities such as eating and swallowing food. Then Reeves smiles. Authentically, hesitantly, joyously beams. (It's far much believable than his smile shown in the poster, that appears digitally altered.)

Why That Smile Matters

The moment truly surprised me to realize just how unexpected and refreshing that expression felt. When was the last time audiences saw Keanu Reeves smile in a film where he wasn't showing malice, irony, or bitterness? The actor likely tries a smile at some point in the recent misbegotten Bill & Ted Face the Music, but I'm not going to returning to that mess to find out. Reeves has remained typecast with grim, violent, introspective, or just solemn roles for such a duration that just watching him grin seemed like seeing a completely different actor.

While the plot goes on, Gabriel ends up having to get a kitchen position, a role that doesn't pay sufficient to live on, and Gabriel starts smoking heavily due to frustration. Just the image of the actor in a cheap plastic restaurant hat, with his late-career signature long hair pulled back in a plain bun, slouching against a wall and puffing on a cigarette, proves worth watching. His kitchen worker getup completely changes his face and body: Unexpectedly, the slim, well-dressed physical powerhouse of his famous movies becomes awkward, unglamorous, and much more human.

A Pleasure of Viewing Reeves Relax

The film isn't always enjoyable to view, particularly when Ansari (who additionally authored the screenplay) must create plausible explanations for {Ar