‘Good Fortune’ Review: A Terrific Life-Affirming Comedy
Good Fortune sees Aziz Ansari return to storytelling since Master of None. Similar to that series, Ansari brings a rich commentary to his latest film. Master of None made Ansari an award winner with the segment “Parents,” which spoke about the immigrant experience and the entitlement of second-generation children. With Good Fortune, he scripts a wild blend of Heaven Can Wait and Freaky Friday while making a strong discussion about wealth vs. poverty in America.
Even wilder, it features a breakout comedic performance from one of its unlikeliest stars. Bill and Ted might have featured some great comedic bits from Keanu Reeves but in Good Fortune, the John Wick actor might have hit a career high as Gabriel.
What is Good Fortune about?
The film centers on Arj (Aziz Ansari), a man who is continually beaten down by the economic disparities of life. He works for a delivery service that is similar to DoorDash, but mainly involves performing tasks. For example, one job has him waiting in line for a popular cinnamon bun for two hours. While navigating the job, Arj finds himself in the path of an angel named Gabriel (Keanu Reeves). Unbeknownst to Arj, Gabriel rescues him from crashing, as Gabriel is an angel who protects people who text while driving. And during this encounter, Gabriel sees that Arj has become a lost soul who might want to give up on life.
A short while later, Arj meets a successful business mogul named Jeff (Seth Rogen), and the two form a bond that allows Jeff to make him his assistant. The script then shows the vastly different lives they both lead: Arj, who sleeps in a hotel (and sometimes his own car), and Jeff, who has the world handed to him on a platter. Arj also has feelings for a department store worker named Elena (Keke Palmer). As a character, Elena struggles similarly to Arj and is among the employees trying to rally a union against the company.
After making an unfortunate decision, Arj loses everything, including his car. Gabriel makes himself visible to offer Arj a reason to live. Arj believes money will fix everything, and Gabriel decides to make Jeff and Arj switch lives in a new reality to show Arj that money can’t fix everything. But in a twist of irony, it solves Arj’s problems, and now he refuses to switch back, placing Gabriel in trouble with his angelic supervisor.
Wealth, poverty, and Keanu Reeves
The film then becomes a hilarious satire on wealth vs. poverty. There is a gut-busting exchange between Gabriel and his angel boss, Martha, played by Sandra Oh (Killing Eve), where he says, “I wanted to show him that money can’t solve all his problems.” And when asked about the result, he says, “It did solve his problems.” The movie then shows Jeff living out the same daily struggle as Arj and getting a heavy dose of the pains of being stepped on by big corporations. Keke Palmer’s role as Elena complements the discussions of wealth and the lower class. In the film, she sees a purpose in her struggle as someone meant to be in the ring with fighters seeking a way to make a change.
And to add zaniness, Gabriel is punished for creating a mess. It’s here that we see Keanu Reeves give what may be a career-high performance as Gabriel. He is a comedic revelation in Good Fortune, delivering an outstanding, humorous screen presence. If Gabriel were the main character, this would be one of the funniest fish-out-of-water stories produced. And it’s Reeves‘ earnestness in the role that makes him incredibly fun to watch. He plays Gabriel like an innocent child learning about life, and it’s extremely infectious.
Aziz Ansari‘s script tackles purpose
The film may make jokes about “money fixing everything,” but in the final acts of Good Fortune, something deeper is explored. One scene, in particular, shows how Arj and Elena’s romantic dynamic changes after he becomes wealthy. She believes her purpose is to be in the mud, helping others free themselves of it. She still has eyes for Arj, but changing economic classes makes it difficult for them to relate to each other.
Even Gabriel sees meaning in his angelic duties after punishment, realizing how the most mundane changes can lead to significant improvements. And honestly, it isn’t easy to find such strong life-affirming commentary in any genre, much less comedy. The combination makes Good Fortune one of the most surprising comedies of the year. It has a strong message, lots of heart, and genuinely hysterical moments about tough situations. It’s a testament to Ansari as a screenwriter that he can still craft sharp commentary while giving the audience a worthwhile reason to laugh at the absurdity of capitalism.
Overall, Good Fortune is a crowd-pleaser that might become a favorite for many this year. It’s a hilarious comedy about our current economic struggles written with lots of heart. Moreover, it might feature one of Keanu Reeves’ best roles. For his Gabriel persona alone, it is well worth the price of admission.
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