Good Fortune
A hilarious but empty romp
Good Fortune, Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut, is a tight 90 minutes of genuine laughs, relying primarily on well-timed line delivery rather than gimmicks or cheesy physical comedy. It’s the clear benefit of a seasoned comic taking the reins as writer, director, and star.
Ansari plays Arj, a down-on-his-luck documentary editor who, despite his big dreams and hard work, is barely making ends meet as a gig worker. He spends his days juggling multiple jobs and his nights sleeping in his car. His annoyance at the death of the American dream only deepens when he’s hired by billionaire tech-bro Jeff (Seth Rogen), who spends his days cold plunging and hardly working. As Arj’s life continues to unravel, he is watched over by his “budget guardian angel” Gabriel (Keanu Reeves), who is determined to save “lost souls.”
In an attempt to show Arj that money won’t solve his problems, Gabriel swaps his life with Jeff’s, a move well above his pay grade. Now, to avoid being downgraded to a mortal, Gabriel must help Arj learn his lesson and convince him to switch back.
Reeves is a delight as Gabriel, a character whose personality is equal parts golden retriever and alien in a strange new world (with just a hint of stoner energy), but it makes for some great laughs and actually believable situations (at least, as believable as an angel working a dead-end job can be). It’s refreshing to see him away from the franchise roles he’s had in recent years and take a role far more reminiscent of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, something exceedingly fitting for this film.
While Reeves is the clear standout, Ansari and Rogen are just as engaging to watch. Both handle their characters in wealth and the complete lack of wealth in ways that make both believable. Their performances bring a grounded authenticity to the film, no matter how absurd the situation becomes.
The film’s flaws come when it starts taking itself too seriously. As a lighthearted film aimed solely at making its audience laugh, it’s nearly perfect. But each time Ansari tries to drive home his thoughts about class separation and the gig economy, it comes off as preachy and forced. Near the end, one of the characters tries to give an impassioned speech about what he learned through this process, but the scene feels tacked on to make sure the audience knows what the film stands for. It’s a shame since the situations created by Gabriel’s meddling offer the perfect setup for this commentary to come on its own, but Ansari doesn’t allow it the space to get there.
Despite this, Good Fortune is still an entertaining and humorous look at what it means to be human, the definition of success, and, of course, the importance of not texting and driving.
