Let the actor Grin More: An Exploration at His Performance in the New Film
Good Fortune, this whimsical film from actor Aziz Ansari, is struggling in theaters. Many reasons could account for its performance: The generic name fails to express the film's unique appeal. Its script can be preachy and heavy-handed with its themes. Its acting seem uninspired and staged, like the cast are reciting lines straight from a script. And, it arrives during an era marked by financial uncertainty and inequality, that could render audiences less open to a story that suggests wealthy individuals have every benefits while the poor have heart.
But, this is what Good Fortune excels: It's unique, bold, creative, often humorous, and undoubtedly timely. Plus, it offers a enjoyable the actor hangout experience.
Reeves as an Angel: A Familiar Portrayal
I have not regarded Reeves a strong performer. The actor's flat speaking style and consistent look of slight concern has always seemed limited, despite his broad range of roles he's taken on over the past four decades years. Astute filmmakers have placed him in roles where that stoic nature works ideally, from his early work to the sci-fi classic to John Wick. But almost all of these roles called for him to seem hardened, closed-off, or detached.
Throughout the film, Reeves plays Gabriel, a minor guardian celestial being tasked with looking after people that use their phones while driving. The character's entire duty involves remaining in his cars and gently touching their shoulders as they are close to crash, alerting the person so they stop in time. However, when standing high above his domain, looking down on humanity like an alternative interpretation of the angel from Wim Wenders' classic film the angel story, Gabriel gets ambitious. He wants to be an exceptional protector and rescuer of wayward souls.
A Unexpected Turn: Keanu Playing a Mortal
Therefore, he presents himself to down-and-out odd-jobber a character (played by the director), who is living out of his car and resenting his situation. The angel then swaps Arj with the existence of stupidly wealthy tech mogul a character (acted by the comedian). This idea behind the exercise is that Arj to realize Jeff's existence has major downsides, and thankfully return to his own life, similar to a figure in It's a Wonderful Life.
Issue was, the character right away discovers that Jeff's problems (tedious appointments, a pricey heating bill) prove negligible and easily solved with money. He also realizes that being affluent provides limitless opportunities for pleasurable enjoyment. He has zero interest in going back to his previous life, and Gabriel is unable to compel Arj to go back. Subsequently, more trouble comes: For overstepping his mandate and disrupting the balance of the world, Gabriel is fired as an celestial job, and transformed to a mortal.
The Discovery: The Actor Grins
Personally, I remained not persuaded by the actor as an angel with grand aspirations and an intense wish to effect change. Reeves turns in the same vaguely constipated acting he's been offering for at least the last three ten-year periods. Viewing Reeves in the role of angel that has just become mortal for the first time, on the other hand, was a blast, for a reason that truly astonished me at first: It's an element new for Reeves. Or to be precise, an aspect old.
Early during his confusing career being a human, clinging to the wealthy character (who the angel exchanged with Arj's precarious life and jobless situation), the character begins hesitantly experimenting with human experiences like eating and swallowing food. Then Reeves smiles. Authentically, cautiously, joyously beams. (This is a lot more believable than the smile on the promotional image, that appears artificially added.)
Why This Grin Matters
The moment truly took me aback to realize just how surprising and refreshing the smile was. At what point did we last audiences observed Keanu Reeves smile in a movie in which he was not showing ill will, irony, or bitterness? He likely tries it somewhere in the recent ill-conceived Bill & Ted Face the Music, but I am not going to returning to the disappointment to find out. The actor has remained stuck with serious, murderous, introspective, or just serious roles for so long that merely seeing Reeves smile seemed like observing a completely different actor.
While the story progresses, Gabriel ends up having to get a dishwashing job, which doesn't pay enough for survival, and Gabriel starts chain-smoking out of frustration. Just the image of the actor in a disposable paper food-service hat, with his late-career signature locks tied in an unglamorous ponytail, slouching on a building and smoking a smoke, is worth the price of admission. His dishwasher attire totally changes his face and posture: Unexpectedly, the slim, suited physical powerhouse of the John Wick films is awkward, unglamorous, and much more relatable.
The Joy of Watching Keanu Loosen Up
The film isn't consistently fun to view, particularly when Ansari (that also wrote the script) has to find plausible reasons for {Ar