Let Keanu Reeves Smile More Often: A Look at His Performance in the New Film
Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, this fantasy comedy by actor Aziz Ansari, has been struggling in theaters. Many reasons may account for its reception: The generic name doesn't convey its movie's distinctive charm. Its script can be preachy and heavy-handed regarding its messages. The performances seem uninspired and presentational, as if the cast are reciting lines directly from a script. And, the film comes during an era of economic anxiety and disparity, which may make audiences not very open to a narrative that suggests wealthy individuals have every advantages while the poor have heart.
But, here's what Good Fortune stands out: The film is unique, bold, imaginative, frequently humorous, and undoubtedly relevant. Plus, it provides an unexpectedly enjoyable the actor hangout movie.
Keanu Reeves in the role of Guardian: A Familiar Performance
Personally, I've not considered Keanu Reeves a good performer. The actor's monotonal speaking style and persistent look of slight perturbation have consistently felt one-note, despite the broad range of roles he's taken on over the past 40 years. Smart filmmakers have often cast Reeves in roles where his stoic nature works ideally, from his early work to the sci-fi classic to the action series. But almost all of those characters required Reeves to seem hardened, closed-off, and removed.
Throughout Good Fortune, the actor portrays an angel, one minor guardian celestial being tasked with watching over individuals who use their phones when behind the wheel. His whole duty is sitting in his cars and lightly making contact with the drivers' shoulders as they are about to have an accident, alerting the person in order that they stop in time. But, while positioned overlooking the city, gazing on the mortal world similar to a interpretation of a celestial figure from Wim Wenders' classic film the angel story, the character becomes aspirational. Gabriel wants to become a great protector and a savior of lost souls.
A Unexpected Turn: Reeves as a Mortal
Therefore, he reveals himself to struggling odd-jobber a character (portrayed by Aziz Ansari), who's living in a vehicle and resenting his situation. The angel then exchanges the man into the existence of stupidly rich businessman Jeff (played by Seth Rogen). This point behind the experiment is for Arj would understand the wealthy man's life has significant drawbacks, and gratefully go back to his original circumstances, similar to a figure from It's a Wonderful Life.
Problem was, the character right away realizes how Jeff's issues (boring appointments, a pricey pool-heater bill) are negligible and readily resolved using money. Arj further realizes that becoming rich opens up limitless chances for self-indulgent enjoyment. He shows zero desire in returning to his previous situation, and the angel can't compel him to return. Subsequently, additional trouble arrives: Because of overstepping his duties and messing with the balance of the world, Gabriel is fired as an angel job, and turned to a mortal.
The Revelation: The Actor Smiles
I was never convinced by Reeves as an angel who has big dreams and a burning wish to effect change. He delivers a familiar vaguely constipated performance he's been offering for at least the last three decades. Watching him as an angel that has recently turned mortal initially, however, was highly entertaining, due to something that truly astonished me initially: This is something new for the actor. Or perhaps to be precise, an aspect old.
Soon during his baffling experience as a human, clinging to Jeff (who the angel had swapped with Arj's precarious existence and jobless status), the character starts tentatively trying out everyday experiences like eating and swallowing food. And the actor grins. Genuinely, hesitantly, happily beams. (It's far more convincing than his smile on the promotional image, which looks artificially added.)
Why That Grin Is Significant
The moment really took me aback to realize just how unexpected and welcome the smile felt. At what point was the last time audiences saw Keanu Reeves smile in a movie where he wasn't expressing ill will, irony, or resentment? He likely tries a smile at some point in the recent misbegotten the sequel, but I am not returning to the mess to find out. Reeves has remained typecast with grim, violent, broody, or just solemn roles for such a duration that merely watching him grin seemed like seeing an entirely different performer.
As the plot goes on, Gabriel ends up needing to take a dishwashing position, which fails to provide enough for survival, and he begins smoking heavily due to disappointment. Simply the image of the actor in a cheap plastic food-service cap, with his recent signature locks pulled back in an unglamorous bun, leaning against a building and smoking a cigarette, is worthy of the price of admission. His dishwasher getup completely changes his appearance and posture: Suddenly, the lean, suited action star of the John Wick films is awkward, unglamorous, and much more relatable.
The Pleasure of Watching Reeves Loosen Up
The film isn't consistently fun to view, especially when the director (who also wrote the screenplay) must create believable explanations for {Ar
