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Good Fortune, this whimsical film by actor the director, is struggling at the box office. Many reasons may explain its performance: Its uninspired title fails to convey its film's unique appeal. Its screenplay is often moralizing and obvious with its messages. Its acting are uninspired and staged, as if the actors were reciting lines directly from a script. Moreover, the film comes during an era marked by economic uncertainty and disparity, which may render audiences not very receptive to a story that implies wealthy people enjoy every advantages while those in need possess spirit.

However, this is where the movie stands out: The film is original, daring, imaginative, frequently humorous, and undoubtedly timely. Plus, it offers a enjoyable Keanu Reeves character-driven experience.

Keanu Reeves as an Guardian: A Familiar Performance

I have never regarded Keanu Reeves a strong actor. The actor's monotonal delivery and consistent look of slight perturbation have always seemed one-note, despite the wide variety of characters he's taken on during the past 40 of his career. Smart filmmakers have placed Reeves in roles where that stoic nature works perfectly, including his early work to the sci-fi classic to John Wick. But nearly all of those roles required him to seem tough, distant, and detached.

In the film, Reeves plays an angel, one low-level guardian angel assigned with looking after individuals who text while driving. The character's entire duty involves sitting in his cars and gently touching their shoulders as they are about to have an accident, warning the person so they stop before impact. However, when standing overlooking his domain, gazing upon the mortal world similar to an alternative interpretation of the angel from the director's classic film Wings of Desire, the character gets ambitious. Gabriel wants to become a great protector and rescuer of wayward individuals.

The Surprising Shift: Reeves as a Human

So, he reveals himself to struggling handyman a character (played by the director), who is living out of his car and resenting his situation. Gabriel proceeds to exchanges Arj with the life of extremely wealthy tech mogul a character (acted by the comedian). The point behind the exercise was for the character to realize the wealthy man's life comes with major downsides, and thankfully return to his own life, much like a character from the classic film.

Problem was, Arj immediately discovers that the mogul's problems (boring appointments, a pricey heating invoice) prove negligible and readily resolved using money. Arj also realizes how being affluent opens up limitless opportunities for pleasurable fun. The character shows no desire in returning to his previous situation, and Gabriel is unable to compel Arj to return. Subsequently, more bad news arrives: For exceeding his mandate and disrupting the balance of the world, the character is fired as an celestial role, and turned into a human being.

The Revelation: Keanu Reeves Smiles

Personally, I remained not convinced by the actor playing an angel with big aspirations and a burning desire to effect change. He turns in a familiar somewhat constipated performance he has been providing for no less than the last 3 decades. Viewing him as an celestial being who's just become human for the first time, however, proved to be highly entertaining, for a reason that truly surprised viewers initially: This is something different for Reeves. Or more accurately, something old.

Soon during the character's confusing career being a human, staying with the wealthy character (who the angel exchanged with the handyman's precarious life and jobless situation), the character starts hesitantly trying out everyday experiences such as eating and swallowing meals. And the actor grins. Genuinely, hesitantly, happily smiles. (It's far more convincing than the smile shown in the promotional image, that appears digitally altered.)

The Reason This Smile Matters

It really took me aback to realize how surprising and welcome that expression was. At what point was the last time audiences observed Keanu Reeves grin in a film in which he wasn't showing malice, sarcasm, or resentment? He likely attempts a smile somewhere in the recent ill-conceived Bill & Ted Face the Music, but I am not going to revisiting the mess to confirm. Reeves has remained stuck with grim, violent, broody, or just solemn roles for so long that just watching him smile felt like observing an entirely new performer.

As the plot goes on, the character finds himself having to take a kitchen job, which doesn't pay sufficient for survival, and Gabriel begins chain-smoking due to frustration. Just the image of Reeves in a disposable paper food-service cap, his recent signature locks pulled back in an unglamorous ponytail, leaning against a wall and smoking a cigarette, is worthy of the price of admission. His kitchen worker getup totally alters his appearance and body: Unexpectedly, the lean, suited action star of his famous films is awkward, unglamorous, and much increasingly human.

A Joy of Viewing Keanu Relax

Good Fortune isn't consistently fun to view, particularly when the director (who additionally authored the script) has to find believable explanations for {Ar