‘Good Fortune’: A Heavenly Keanu Reeves Tastes the Joys of Humanity and Sorrows of Late Stage Capitalism in Aziz Ansari’s Directorial Debut

Alci Rengifo

You have to try and smile a little in our current phase of capitalism. Surely, there must be some light at the end of the gig economy tunnel. Aziz Ansari certainly hopes so in his directorial debut, “Good Fortune.” The actor and comedian, famous for shows like “Master of None” and “Parks and Recreation,” had originally planned another project, “Being Mortal.” It was cancelled following allegations of inappropriate behavior by its star, Bill Murray. Ansari moved on to this idea, and the times have only grown riper for it. It is a funny little parable in the tradition of classic angel and life-swapping stories, where characters learn universal life lessons. Ansari’s screenplay keeps it simple but adds just enough melancholy.

Ansari also stars as Arj, who has studied to be a film editor specializing in documentaries, but has been tossed around by Los Angeles’ infamously harsh economy. He juggles multiple jobs, including driving for an app company called Foodster and working at big box store, Hardware Heaven. At least at the latter gig he meets Elena (Keke Palmer), an employee trying to organize a union. Forced to sleep in his car, which isn’t that easy in L.A., Arj endures his Indian father raving over the phone about his tech bro sibling making lots of money. One of his gigs brings him into the lavish home of Jeff (Seth Rogen), a venture capitalist who happens to own Foodster. Arj talks himself into getting hired as a personal assistant. It goes bad when during a date with Elena, cash-strapped Arj uses the company credit card and gets fired by Jeff. Unbeknown to the doomed gig worker, an angel named Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) is watching from his perch. Tired of being assigned to keep watch over humans’ texting and driving habits, Gabriel wants to save a lost soul and sees his chance in Arj. 

“Good Fortune” is a comedy about the economy as it stands today while being tailored so well for modern Los Angeles. Those who live in the city will appreciate how Ansari and cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra use corners of the city rarely captured in flashy comedies, from North Hollywood to East Los Angeles. The material features a refreshing honesty about the mood in the air where the majority facing the high cost of rent and living in such a major city wonder how others become so damn rich. Arj’s eyes bulge at the sight of Jeff’s house with its sports cars and sauna. Jeff makes his rise sound so easy when describing starting a small company, then investing here and there. Arj instead gets a one star rating for telling a client’s kid that his dreams of being an archaeologist will be crushed by the dying American dream. Gabriel then jumps in to help Arj by switching his life with Jeff’s and so forth. Maybe, if Arj can be Jeff for a week, he will realize the life of the rich is not so easy.

A hilarious and sharp twist to Ansari’s approach is that Arj’s life is indeed much easier with limitless wealth. The gig worker will definitely not want to return to his old life, one which Jeff now endures facing the challenges of seeking viable work and making enough to pay for a hotel room. It is the flip side of “It’s A Wonderful Life” or “The Family Man,” where the protagonists realize money doesn’t buy happiness. Ansari is not saying it does, but sharing the wealth a bit better would certainly help. Other films clearly being referenced are angel adventures like “Wings of Desire” and “City of Angels,” where celestial beings dabble in human life. Keanu Reeve’s trench coat even looks like an homage to John Travolta in “Michael.” He is also trapped with smaller wings because he’s of a smaller tier in the heavenly roster. His boss is the angel Martha (Sandra Oh), who tries to make Gabriel see the value in saving people from crashing while texting. 

Ansari and Rogen are comedy pros who deliver as expected with a mixture of drama and slapstick. Reeves steals the show with his deadpan Gabriel who behaves like a clueless child when his own powers are taken away and he gets a taste of human delights. Chicken “nuggies” and milkshakes instantly enrapture him. He too must look for work and discovers the pleasures of cumbia dancing with his fellow Latin kitchen workers. Reeves has mastered this kind of performance that requires a stare and delivery of the lines. Gabriel could almost be a nicer version of his John Wick assassin, after biting the dust and going to heaven. For millennials (and increasingly Gen Z) facing the ongoing realities of the working world, it may be cathartic to see Gabriel receive his first check and ask why so much is getting deducted. A co-worker advises him to get a second job, his colleagues tend to work three.

“Good Fortune” is a fun 97 minutes and could have gone longer just so Ansari could flesh out the last act a little better. Arj refuses to give Jeff back his life and the latter can only despair as the former Foodster driver wears his clothes, lives without a care and even steals his 40th birthday bash. The romance with Elena could have been expanded on with stronger humor and drama as well. Yet Ansari does arrive at a smart way of delivering his message. What both men eventually seem to learn is that life is worth living no matter your social class, what matters is how. If the rich became more conscious there might not be such glaring inequality and the working class might feel more dignity. Jeff is made to live through the typical life hassles he normally would not realize even exist. Arj feels the ease of having money yet Elena is more impressed by people who care about workers’ rights and things that matter. Even an angel can appreciate the taste of a good street taco that doesn’t need to cost the price of the expensive steak dinner that gets Arj in trouble with Jeff. These are nice thoughts that crash against the rocky shores of the real world, which is why we need movies to keep putting them out there.

“Good Fortune” releases Oct. 17 in theaters nationwide.