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“Good Fortune” might carry a message, yet it seems crafted not to be overly serious. Aziz Ansari’s latest venture follows the fallout from the “Being Mortal” project with Searchlight, suggesting he might have chosen to keep things light-hearted. However, with urban unrest and the growing gap between wealth and poverty, the film’s themes resonate strongly in today’s climate, perhaps even more intensely than when production began. Despite its underlying message, the film maintains a lively, though not entirely carefree, spirit.
The story kicks off with Gabriel, portrayed by Keanu Reeves, a minor angel tasked with preventing texting-while-driving accidents by nudging distracted drivers to avert disasters. Despite his success, Gabriel feels unfulfilled and aspires to emulate Azrael, played by Stephen McKinley Henderson, an angel who aids the downtrodden in a manner reminiscent of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Gabriel’s quest for purpose leads him to Arj, a struggling gig worker played by Ansari, whom he believes is his destined beneficiary.
In a twist, Gabriel swaps Arj’s challenging life with that of his former boss, Jeff, a venture capitalist depicted by Seth Rogen, who indulges in trivial pursuits. Gabriel hopes this switch will make Arj realize the value of his own life. Contrary to expectations, Arj relishes Jeff’s luxurious lifestyle and has no desire to revert to his old life. Meanwhile, Jeff finds himself grappling with Arj’s previous struggles, battling to make ends meet. The question remains: how will Gabriel persuade Arj to appreciate his original life, and can Elena, played by Keke Palmer, who is rallying her coworkers to unionize and was dating Arj before the swap, play a role in this realization? Only time will reveal the outcome.
The plot’s simplicity paves the way for Arj to confront significant questions about his life’s direction and whether he should focus on personal gain or aiding others. Although the narrative doesn’t provide entirely satisfying resolutions, the journey to these questions is undeniably entertaining.
Easy, breezy fun, but with a message
Eddy Chen/Lionsgate
The laughs in “Good Fortune” come so effortlessly, it’s easy to overlook that Aziz Ansari, who wrote and directed along with starring, doesn’t quite stick the landing. From Jeff explaining how “gun safety” works to Arj (which eventually comes back to bite him) to Gabriel being shocked at all the money the government takes out of his paycheck (a joke that “Friends” also did in its first season but that is no less relevant today), Ansari spreads the funny around and says something valuable too.
But none of it would work if it weren’t for the exceptional cast. Ansari and Seth Rogen, unsurprisingly, are both hilarious and poignant as the pair that switch lives. Rogen is particularly good as the man who is sure he can stick it out in Arj’s life … at least for a week. Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh (as the angel Martha) are also good as the women in Arj and Gabriel’s lives, respectively. Palmer’s Elena, in particular, makes a small but meaningful difference as the girl of Arj’s dreams.
Of course, it’s Keanu Reeves who’s the real revelation here. I was honestly skeptical; I remember the days when Reeves was mocked for not being able to act, even as people flocked to his movies. And though he’s great in the “John Wick” franchise, that’s less about his acting and more about his abilities with a weapon. So I was flabbergasted by how well he embraced both the comedy and the drama of his role in “Good Fortune.” His character is the heart of the movie, and he exceeds expectations.
The ending is a miss
Lionsgate
Unfortunately, as good as the rest of the movie is, the ending doesn’t land quite the way it should. I can’t tell you exactly what happens but I can tell you that at some point Martha tells Gabriel that people generally don’t need angels, even if they are unhoused and living gig to gig; they just need someone to be there with them. The problem with this is that it sounds like Martha, and Aziz Ansari by proxy, is telling us that misery loves company, and ultimately that’s a sad statement.
Plus, the solutions to the problems that Ansari presents are too simple to pass muster. Though there are images of people walking out of their jobs at the end, I couldn’t help wondering what they would do now. Because as principled as that stand is, what the movie beforehand had shown us was Arj trapped by his circumstances. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t just leave a job because he had nowhere else to go. So the fact that a whole group of people left their jobs in the final frames of the film defied that setup. It seems that Ansari, in trying to deliver a happy ending, lost the plot a bit.
Of course, you may see things differently. After all, “Good Fortune” is only a movie, and for some, a happy ending may be all they want, however artificial it is. Either way, the majority of the movie is great. Funny and zesty, but still with something to say, “Good Fortune” is a good time even if the ending leaves something to be desired.
“Good Fortune” comes to theaters on October 17.
