Let the actor Smile More: An Exploration at the Actor's Role in Good Fortune

Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, this fantasy film by comedian Aziz Ansari, is facing challenges at the box office. Many factors could account for its performance: Its generic name fails to express its film's unique charm. Its script is often moralizing and obvious regarding its themes. Its acting are flat and presentational, as if the actors were reciting lines directly from the page. Moreover, the film comes during an era marked by economic anxiety and inequality, that may make audiences not very receptive to a story that suggests wealthy individuals enjoy all the benefits while those in need possess spirit.

But, this is where Good Fortune stands out: It's unique, bold, creative, frequently humorous, and undoubtedly relevant. Plus, it provides an unexpectedly enjoyable the actor character-driven experience.

Keanu Reeves as an Guardian: His Typical Portrayal

Personally, I've never considered Reeves to be a good performer. The actor's flat delivery and persistent expression of slight concern have consistently seemed limited, regardless of the wide range of characters he has taken on over the last 40 years. Astute directors have cast Reeves in parts where that rigidity works ideally, from his early work to The Matrix to the action series. Yet nearly all of those characters required him to seem tough, closed-off, or detached.

In the film, the actor portrays an angel, a minor guardian angel assigned with looking after individuals who text when driving. The character's entire duty involves remaining in their cars and gently touching the drivers' arms when they're close to crash, alerting them so they stop in time. But, when standing high above the city, looking down upon the mortal world similar to a interpretation of the angel from the director's renowned film Wings of Desire, Gabriel becomes ambitious. He wants to be an exceptional guardian and rescuer of lost individuals.

A Unexpected Turn: Reeves Playing a Mortal

Therefore, he reveals his presence to struggling odd-jobber a character (played by the director), who's living out of his car and cursing his situation. Gabriel proceeds to swaps Arj into the life of extremely rich businessman a character (played by the comedian). This point of the experiment was that Arj would understand Jeff's life comes with significant downsides, and gratefully go back to his original circumstances, much like a figure in It's a Wonderful Life.

Issue is, the character right away realizes that the mogul's issues (tedious appointments, a pricey pool-heater bill) are negligible and readily resolved using wealth. Arj further sees that becoming rich opens up limitless chances for self-indulgent fun. He shows no interest in returning to his previous life, and Gabriel can't compel him to return. Subsequently, additional trouble comes: Because of overstepping his mandate and disrupting the order of the world, the character loses his position as an angel role, and transformed into a mortal.

A Revelation: Keanu Reeves Smiles

Personally, I remained never persuaded by the actor playing an celestial being who has grand aspirations and a burning desire to make a difference. Reeves turns in the same vaguely stiff acting he's been providing for at least the last 3 ten-year periods. Watching him as an angel that has just turned human for the first time, however, proved to be a blast, for a reason which truly astonished viewers at first: This is something new for the actor. Or perhaps to be precise, an aspect from the past.

Soon into the character's baffling career as a mortal, staying with the wealthy character (whom Gabriel exchanged with the handyman's hand-to-mouth life and underemployed situation), Gabriel starts tentatively trying out human experiences such as chewing and consuming food. Then the actor smiles. Genuinely, cautiously, joyously smiles. (This is a lot more believable than his grin on the poster, that looks artificially added.)

Why This Grin Is Significant

The moment really surprised me to realize just how surprising and refreshing that expression felt. At what point was the last time we observed Keanu Reeves smile in a movie in which he wasn't expressing ill will, irony, or bitterness? He likely attempts a smile somewhere in 2020's misbegotten Bill & Ted Face the Music, however I'm not going to returning to the disappointment to find out. Reeves has been typecast with grim, violent, introspective, or just serious characters for so long that merely watching him smile felt like observing an entirely different actor.

As the plot goes on, Gabriel ends up needing to take a kitchen job, which fails to provide enough for survival, and Gabriel begins smoking heavily out of frustration. Just the image of Reeves in a disposable paper food-service hat, his late-career trademark long hair pulled back in an unglamorous ponytail, slouching against a wall and smoking a smoke, is worthy of the price of admission. His dishwasher attire completely changes his face and body: Unexpectedly, the lean, suited action star of his famous films is gawky, ordinary, and a lot more relatable.

A Pleasure of Viewing Keanu Relax

The film isn't always enjoyable to watch, especially when the director (that also authored the screenplay) must find believable reasons for {Ar