Comic/actor Aziz Ansari makes his feature film debut with a fun and often hilarious comedy film that has lots of heart and much love for classic Frank Capra movies, particularly, It’s A Wonderful Life. Though this movie does not take place during Christmas, Good Fortune examines life choices and the complex challenges life presents us, but in a more modern setting. The comedic writing and the performances by the cast help sell this throwback quite well, making it a lovable movie in its own right.
In addition to writing and directing, Ansari stars as Arj, a thirty-something man struggling to survive in America by taking on various odd jobs to make ends meet. Lacking a place to live, Arj usually finds himself sleeping in his car in a store parking lot. However, he gets a fateful opportunity at a more permanent job when he makes a good impression on a wealthy tech mogul named Jeff (Seth Rogen), who gives Raj the chance to prove his worth as his personal assistant.
When a poor decision gets him fired, Arj feels lost, despondent, and ready to give up. Meanwhile, a low-ranking guardian angel named Gabriel (Keanu Reeves), whose sole job is to keep people from dying from car accidents caused by texting and driving. Although Gabriel feels some satisfaction from his work, he aspires to have a greater impact on humanity and ambitiously decides to help Arj experience a life of wealth and excess, in a naive attempt to show him that wealth does not guarantee happiness.
Gabriel rashly decides to trade Arj’s life for Jeff’s, and this proves more problematic than he expects. To ensure he doesn’t lose his wings, Gabriel must restore the original order of things if he can convince Arj to return to his old, sad life.
While there is a certain predictability to what happens in the story, Ansari and his cast do great work in developing the story and characters, allowing them to grow in more positive ways. The result is pure fantasy, but it is so wonderfully charming and funny that I found it very easy to forgive the outlandish nature of the journey. What I loved is that the Arj character, the Jeff character, and Gabriel all learn from this experience and acknowledge the real struggles of people in this world. The delightful and sometimes raucous comedy makes the journey so much sweeter.
Of course, Ansari and Rogen are absolutely hilarious and know how to deliver jokes, lines, and improvisation skillfully. Keanu Reeves is perfectly cast as the sweet, innocent, and naive angel who is entirely out of his element. Keanu’s natural charm shines through in his character, making it all work, despite his acting limitations. Keke Palmer is also a welcome addition to the film, as a strong-willed and determined working woman who is Arj’s love interest.
Although the film is rated R due to its strong language, Good Fortune is a sweet and optimistic feel-good movie. If you are too cynical or absolutely hate Frank Capra movies, then this is not the movie for you. It is often refreshing when a modern film incorporates some old-school sensibilities and combines these elements with contemporary realities. I highly recommend Good Fortune as it is an escape from reality while acknowledging the real struggles that exist in our world.