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Good Fortune, the whimsical film by comedian the director, is facing challenges in theaters. Many reasons may explain the film's performance: The uninspired name doesn't convey the film's distinctive appeal. Its screenplay is often moralizing and heavy-handed regarding the messages. The performances are uninspired and presentational, like the actors were reading lines directly from the page. And, it arrives at a time marked by financial anxiety and disparity, which may make audiences less receptive to a story which implies wealthy individuals have every advantages while the poor possess heart.

But, this is where Good Fortune stands out: It's unique, daring, creative, often humorous, and undoubtedly relevant. And, it provides a great the actor character-driven experience.

Keanu Reeves in the role of Angel: His Typical Performance

I have never considered Keanu Reeves to be a good actor. The actor's flat speaking style and persistent expression of mild concern have always seemed limited, regardless of his broad range of characters he's taken on over the last four decades of his career. Astute directors have often cast Reeves in roles in which that stoic nature works ideally, from his early work to the sci-fi classic to John Wick. But almost all of those characters required him to appear hardened, closed-off, or detached.

Throughout Good Fortune, Reeves portrays Gabriel, a minor guardian celestial being assigned with looking after individuals that use their phones when driving. The character's whole job is sitting in his cars and gently making contact with the drivers' arms when they are close to crash, warning the person so they brake in time. However, when positioned overlooking the city, gazing upon humanity similar to a version of the angel in Wim Wenders' classic movie Wings of Desire, the character becomes ambitious. Gabriel wants to become a great protector and a savior of wayward souls.

The Unexpected Shift: Keanu as a Human

Therefore, he reveals himself to struggling handyman a character (portrayed by Aziz Ansari), who is living in his car and resenting his situation. Gabriel then exchanges the man into the life of stupidly rich tech mogul Jeff (acted by Seth Rogen). This point behind the exercise is for the character to realize the wealthy man's life comes with significant downsides, and gratefully go back to his own circumstances, much like the character in the classic film.

Issue was, the character right away realizes how Jeff's problems (tedious meetings, expensive pool-heater invoice) are negligible and readily solved using wealth. He also sees how becoming affluent opens up endless opportunities for pleasurable fun. He has no interest in returning to his previous life, and the angel can't force him to go back. Then, more trouble arrives: Because of exceeding his mandate and messing with the order of the world, the character loses his position as an celestial job, and transformed to a human being.

A Revelation: The Actor Smiles

Personally, I remained not convinced by the actor as an angel with big aspirations and a burning wish to effect change. Reeves turns in the same somewhat constipated performance he has consistently providing for at least the past three decades. Viewing him as an celestial being that has recently turned human initially, on the other hand, was highly entertaining, due to something which truly astonished me initially: This is an element new for Reeves. Or to be precise, something from the past.

Early during his confusing experience as a human, staying with Jeff (who the angel exchanged with the handyman's precarious life and jobless status), the character begins tentatively trying out human experiences such as eating and consuming meals. Then Reeves grins. Genuinely, cautiously, happily beams. (This is a lot more convincing than the smile shown in the promotional image, that looks digitally altered.)

Why That Grin Is Significant

The moment truly took me aback to recognize how unexpected and welcome the expression was. At what point did we last we observed the actor grin in a movie in which he wasn't showing malice, irony, or bitterness? The actor likely tries a smile somewhere in 2020's misbegotten Bill & Ted Face the Music, however I'm not returning to that disappointment to find out. Reeves has been typecast with serious, violent, broody, or simply serious roles for so long that merely watching him smile felt like seeing an entirely different performer.

While the plot progresses, Gabriel ends up needing to take a kitchen position, which doesn't pay sufficient for survival, and Gabriel begins smoking heavily out of frustration. Simply the image of Reeves in a disposable plastic food-service cap, his recent trademark long hair tied in an unglamorous bun, leaning on a building and smoking a cigarette, is worth watching. His dishwasher attire totally alters his appearance and body: Suddenly, the slim, well-dressed physical powerhouse of his famous movies becomes gawky, ordinary, and much increasingly human.

A Joy of Viewing Reeves Relax

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