GOOD FORTUNE Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Aziz Ansari
Stars: Aziz Ansari, Seth Rogen, Keanu Reeves, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sherry Cola, Kristen Henley, Erik Estrada Loaiza.
This amiable comedy from writer/director and star Aziz Ansari comes across like a Trading Places for the new millennium. Former stand-up comic Ansari (from tv series Parks And Recreation, etc) makes his feature film directorial debut here.
Ansari criticises the gig economy which leaves many workers struggling to survive on low wages. He also looks at the dichotomy of contemporary society with a huge gap between the wealthy millionaires and corporate bosses and the working classes who struggle to be able to pay their rent, put food on the table and still have enough money for the occasional treat. He suggests that it is the simple pleasures and the friendships we form that enrich our lives more than money or success. He cites the 1946 Christmas classic It’s A Wonderful Life as an influence on the material
Low ranking guardian angel Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) is responsible for overseeing the safety of people who text while driving, but he feels that he is capable of more. Then he meets Arj (played by Ansari himself), a frustrated and hard-working aspiring documentary filmmaker who works as a delivery driver for Taskrabbit. Arj is struggling to stay afloat amidst long hours, little income and a reliance on a good star rating from prickly customers. He is sleeping in his car. Arj also works part time at a hardware store, where he strikes up a friendship with idealistic co-worker Elena (Keke Palmer, from Nope, etc), a feisty activist who is trying to unionise her fellow workers.
He lands a job as an assistant for arrogant and vulgar tech mogul Jeff (Seth Rogen), and is drawn towards his life of luxury. But when Arj makes a mistake while on a date with Elena and charges a $300 meal to Jeff’s corporate credit card, he is fired. It’s back to the streets and the never-ending grind of sleeping in his car and struggling to keep up with his hectic deliveries.
Gabriel senses that Arj is a “lost soul” who has hit rock bottom and intervenes. He shows Arj a brief vision of what his future looks like, but Arj remains unimpressed and depressed. Gabriel arranges for Arj to temporarily live Jeff’s life while Jeff finds out what it is like to live Arj’s hard scrabble existence, hoping to demonstrate to Arj that money does not solve life’s problems. The biggest problem is that once Arj has tasted the good life he doesn’t want to swap back. As a result, Gabriel is stripped of his wings by his superior Martha (Sandra Oh), and he finds out what it means to live as a human.
Reeves brings some nice comedic touches and a goofy style to his role here. It is nice to see Reeves play something other than the action hero of The Matrix and ultra-violent John Wick series, and he is wonderful as the meddling and clueless angel Gabriel. He brings a nice touch of naivety and endearing innocence to his performance as the soft spoken and optimistic Gabriel experiences the joys of smoking and eating food (especially tacos) for the first time. Ansari brings a nice energy and rising sense of frustration to his role, while Rogen delivers one of his better performances and eschews many of his usual mannerisms to bring Jeff to life. Palmer brings a perky quality to her role as Elena, a potential love interest for Arj.
Production designer Kay Lee (body swap comedy Freakier Friday, etc) has created a superb space for Jeff’s modern house with its luxurious open spaces, bright lighting and inviting layout. But she also creates a nice contrast with the seedy hotel in which Arj, and then later Jeff and Gabriel, find temporary accommodation. Cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra (Splitsville, etc) captures the less glamourous side of Los Angeles at night.
Another variation on the interfering angel trope, Good Fortune delivers plenty of laughs mixed with doses of social commentary. First time filmmaker Ansari makes the most of the well-intentioned narrative and the cast deliver some big laughs and sentimental insights.
★★★
