Good Fortune: Keanu Reeves in the high heavens in a hilarious comedy
The John Wick actor plays a well-meaning but clumsy angel who gets into a complicated situation and risks losing his wings. On Prime Video.
That Keanu Reeves was even on the verge of sainthood perhaps no one expected, despite the planetary success of the John Wick franchise having given him an almost divine aura. And while the fate of that iconic hitman-avenger remains uncertain, but his return from the dead – presumed or real – is more than likely, the popular actor has now definitively ascended to heaven in a comedy played precisely on contrasts and the self-irony with which he chose to immerse himself in an unusual role for him.
Thus, we find ourselves discussing Good Fortune on these pages, which in our country skipped a theatrical release to land directly in the Amazon Prime Video catalog. A lighthearted title but capable of offering very amusing moments, starting precisely from the paradoxical premise of seeing our hero in the role of a somewhat clumsy angel, who in an attempt to do the right thing ends up causing a lot of trouble...
Between Heaven and Earth
At the center of the plot is Gabriel, a low-ranking angel, tired of dealing only with minor celestial tasks and eager to finally obtain more significant assignments. Convinced he can change human lives for the better, he identifies an ideal candidate in Arj, a precarious worker who earns a living with small, underpaid jobs, a symbol of that Los Angeles often hidden from public opinion.
In an attempt to help him, Gabriel decides to temporarily swap his reckless existence with that of Jeff, a wealthy tech entrepreneur. A handover that, precisely, was supposed to be temporary but which, due to a hitch, risks becoming permanent. It will then be up to the protagonist to help the former rich man regain possession of his life, before his mistake causes everyone much more serious problems, including himself.
Laughter and Thoughts
The first part of the film flows smoothly: Aziz Ansari – director, screenwriter, and interpreter of Arj – skillfully paces the comedic timing, relying on a cast that seems genuinely to enjoy moving between the fantastic register and the more earthly one of social satire. Completing the trio is an equally effective Seth Rogen, and the chemistry between them leaves ample room for amusing skits and witty exchanges. Keanu Reeves, in particular, delivers a disarmingly genuine performance, effectively overturning the image of a taciturn and relentless hero, generously lending himself with comedic flair to a character at high risk of caricature.
In the second half, pleasant moments are not lacking, but a partial weariness and monotony begin to be felt, along with a surrender to a certain rhetoric. Good Fortune tries to talk about today's world, the precarious situation affecting the working class, and the world of the rich, which is a separate reality, sometimes finding the right momentum but elsewhere leaving room for some obviousness. It's no coincidence that the film is more convincing when it pushes the accelerator on pure comedic verve, with the fantastic premise being exploited effectively on more than one occasion.
The innocent gaze of someone who wants to do the right thing but is aware of having gotten into a difficult situation, which Gabriel / Reeves carries throughout the hour and a half of viewing, remains, in fact, the main reason for interest in an undoubtedly pleasant and light operation, which will not mark new heights for the genre but is ideal for a summer evening of pure escapism.