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Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, this fantasy comedy by comedian the director, is struggling in theaters. Several factors may explain the film's performance: The generic name fails to express its movie's distinctive charm. Its screenplay is often moralizing and heavy-handed with the messages. Its acting seem uninspired and presentational, as if the actors are reading dialogue directly from the page. Moreover, it arrives at a time marked by financial uncertainty and disparity, which could render audiences not very open to a narrative that suggests rich people have every benefits while the poor possess spirit.

However, here's where the movie stands out: It's unique, daring, imaginative, often humorous, and undoubtedly relevant. Plus, it offers an unexpectedly great Keanu Reeves character-driven movie.

Keanu Reeves in the role of Guardian: His Typical Performance

I have never regarded Reeves to be a good actor. The actor's monotonal speaking style and consistent look of slight perturbation has consistently seemed one-note, regardless of his wide range of characters he has played over the past 40 of his career. Astute directors have often cast Reeves in roles where his rigidity works perfectly, including My Own Private Idaho to the sci-fi classic to John Wick. Yet almost all of these roles called for him to seem hardened, closed-off, and detached.

Throughout Good Fortune, the actor portrays an angel, a low-level protecting celestial being tasked with watching over individuals who text while behind the wheel. His whole job involves sitting in his cars and lightly making contact with their arms when they're close to crash, warning the person in order that the driver stop before impact. But, while positioned high above the city, gazing on the mortal world like a interpretation of a celestial figure in Wim Wenders' classic film Wings of Desire, the character becomes aspirational. He wants to become an exceptional guardian and rescuer of wayward individuals.

A Surprising Turn: Keanu as a Human

So, he presents his presence to down-and-out handyman Arj (portrayed by the director), who's residing in a vehicle and resenting his life. Gabriel proceeds to swaps Arj with the existence of extremely wealthy tech mogul a character (acted by Seth Rogen). The point of the exercise is that the character to realize Jeff's life comes with significant drawbacks, and thankfully go back to his own life, similar to a character from It's a Wonderful Life.

Problem was, Arj immediately discovers that the mogul's issues (tedious appointments, expensive pool-heater invoice) prove negligible and easily solved with money. Arj further sees that becoming rich provides limitless opportunities for pleasurable enjoyment. The character shows no desire in returning to his own life, and Gabriel is unable to compel Arj to return. Then, more trouble comes: For overstepping his duties and messing with the order of existence, Gabriel is fired as an angel role, and turned to a human being.

A Discovery: Keanu Reeves Smiles

Personally, I remained not persuaded by the actor playing an angel who has grand dreams and a burning desire to effect change. Reeves turns in a familiar vaguely constipated acting he's consistently providing for no less than the last three ten-year periods. Viewing Reeves as an angel that has just turned mortal initially, on the other hand, was highly entertaining, due to something that truly surprised viewers initially: This is an element different for the actor. Or to be precise, an aspect from the past.

Early into the character's baffling experience as a human, staying with Jeff (whom Gabriel had swapped with the handyman's hand-to-mouth life and underemployed status), the character starts hesitantly experimenting with everyday experiences such as chewing and consuming meals. Then the actor grins. Genuinely, hesitantly, happily beams. (It's a lot more convincing than his smile on the poster, that looks digitally altered.)

The Reason This Grin Is Significant

The moment really took me aback to recognize just how unexpected and welcome the smile felt. When was the last time we observed Keanu Reeves smile in a movie where he wasn't expressing malice, irony, or bitterness? The actor likely attempts a smile somewhere in the recent misbegotten Bill & Ted Face the Music, but I am not returning to that disappointment to find out. The actor has remained stuck with serious, murderous, introspective, or simply solemn characters for such a duration that just watching him grin felt like seeing a completely different actor.

As the story progresses, the character ends up having to get a dishwashing position, which doesn't pay sufficient to live on, and he starts chain-smoking out of disappointment. Just the image of Reeves in a disposable paper food-service cap, with his late-career signature locks tied in a plain ponytail, slouching against a wall and puffing on a smoke, is worth watching. The kitchen worker getup totally changes his appearance and posture: Unexpectedly, the slim, suited physical powerhouse of the John Wick films is gawky, unglamorous, and a lot increasingly human.

The Pleasure of Watching Keanu Loosen Up

The film isn't consistently fun to view, especially when the director (that additionally authored the script) has to create plausible explanations for {Ar