Movie Review: Good Fortune. Keanu Reeves playing the role of Angel…

Keanu Reeves playing the role of Angel Gabriel, in charge of texting and driving? Sign me up.

Ever since watching Always Be My Maybe, I realised Reeves has a very funny side that isn’t always obvious, and Good Fortune lets that side show. In his directorial debut, Aziz Ansari packs an intriguing cast of Keanu Reeves, Keke Palmer, Seth Rogen, and Michelle Yeoh in a movie that uses humour to speak into the ever-growing reality of the gig economy and the harsh reality of being a working adult.

The Story

Arj is a struggling adult shuffling multiple gig jobs across various digital platforms. He’s down on his luck, living in his car, and barely able to make ends meet, that is, until he gets the job of a PA for Jeff (Seth Rogen). This opportunity is soon terminated when Arj puts a personal dinner bill on Jeff’s company card.

On the verge of giving up, he is met by Angel Gabriel, an angel in charge of texting and driving, who has been seeking to do more and lead people on the right path. Noticing Arj’s despondent attitude, he shows him a glimpse of his future, which worsens Arj’s feelings, and in a final attempt to prove that money isn’t all that it’s meant to be, decides to switch Arj’s life for Jeff’s.

Arj takes to the switch, refusing to switch back, and when Jeff is made aware of it, the three find themselves in a precarious situation. Arj is hell-bent on living Jeff’s life, Jeff is determined to get his life back, and Gabriel, who is demoted for interfering with human matters, takes up smoking, drinking, and dancing as coping mechanisms.

The Cast

Aziz packed an unusual cast and made it work. Rogen has always had the exuberant character, Keke brought her warmth and charisma, and Reeves was effortlessly funny. For real, Reeves didn’t even need to try hard to get a laugh from me, and having all of them working together was satisfying.

The Plot

Good Fortune employs Freaky Friday and Trading Places in a bid to discuss the mundane reality of working like a hamster with no futility. As much as it was funny, the conversations around adulthood and doing everything without seeing results hit home for me. It was even deeper when Gabriel turned human and was way more depressed than the humans were. The first check and the realisation of how little it was despite the effort will resonate with any employee who has had to work multiple jobs to sustain themselves and yet barely make ends meet.

The gig economy is pushing steadily, and it’s not looking like it’ll end soon. Upwork, Fiverr, Uber Eats, etc. The list is endless and is pushing against traditional roles. The roles are flexible, but at times you’ll find yourself holding on to three or even four gigs just to make it work.

The humour employed isn’t the crazy type, but one that requires you to pay attention to get it. It’s often subtle, if you don’t count Keanu Reeves’ outburst, which will definitely crack you up. I loved the message of the movie and how it wasn’t all jokes but heartfelt.

Many have argued that Keke’s character wasn’t optimised as a love interest, and I agree. There wasn’t much of the love aspect for her, with more conversations about starting a union to protect the rights of overworked workers. Keanu was perfect and should take up more comedy roles: he’s a natural.

Side note: The part where Seth said, “I didn’t know your case was so bad that you needed…divine intervention” cracked me up.😂😂

Good Fortune is not the usual comedy and does feel like it took ideas from existing bodies, stitching ideas together, but beyond this, it’s a call to have a conversation on the future of our living economy and our place as the world pushes more into the gig economy.

It’s a good watch. You’ll laugh, think about life a little and smile.