‘Good Fortune’, starring Keanu Reeves, marks his return to lighter fare, after the gun-toting John Wick franchise.
- The film’s director, Aziz Ansari, is not afraid of keeping it in the family – he wrote, directed and co-starred in this film, and even included his dad in the cast.
- Ansari wrote Keanu Reeve’s character with Reeves in mind.
- Catch Tat Wolfen’s entertainment commentary on The Sandton Times Hour, every Monday at 7pm on 91.9FM.
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A sector within the cinemagoing audience has always downgraded Keanu Reeves’s acting abilities; calling him wooden and inexpressive. His die-hard fans who’ve followed his career arc faithfully, however, know better, and have enjoyed him tackling a number of very different roles and genres over the years. It could be argued that Reevites, of which I’m one, cherish him primarily for the naively goofy character of Theodore Logan that he’s bestowed upon us in the Bill & Ted movies.
He has, however, also played strong romantic leads, as well as the über-cool guy in the Matrix films. He’s done “art-house” and martial arts, action and drama; and more recently, even stepped into the hallowed footprints of Charles Bronson and Liam Neeson with his own revenge franchise, the John Wick movies. And yes; he was, and always will be, Theodore Logan. So, to say that he lacks versatility would be to do him a great and dishonest disservice. And he still isn’t done with serving up new surprises…
A Side of Wings
Adding another memorable character to his gallery, our hero now plays the angel Gabriel. He’s one of a posse of angels, under the management of Martha (Sandra Oh), who’ve been sent to earth to assist human beings in need. Each angel has specific area of specialty, and Gabriel’s assigned task is to stop drivers from texting while driving. (Goodness knows we could use him here in Johannesburg…).
Enter the film’s writer/director/star Aziz Ansari, as Arj, a down-and-out guy who just can’t get his financial act together, and therefore occupies himself with e-hailing-type work, in order to meet his basic expenses. On one of his missions, Arj encounters the ridiculously wealthy Jeff (Seth Rogen), and manages to persuade Jeff to offer him a full-time job. (Fear not – these aren’t spoilers, but the movie’s premise.)
Above His Paygrade
All the while, the compassionate Gabriel is watching Arj, and his heart goes out to this dejected soul. He has this urge to have a one-on-one with Arj, to persuade him not to be so obsessed with Dollars and cents, but rather, to live a life of gratitude for what he has, and to savour each moment. Such an intervention, however, would be above his pay grade, and could risk his job security in the realm of the angels – after all, he only has Small Wing status. Where it goes from there is the business of the moviegoer…
Bad & Good Fortune; Where Does The Wheel Swing?
‘Good Fortune’ isn’t wildly original, and many would say that it cribs from the 1983 Eddie Murphy-starrer ‘Trading Places’. It also isn’t short of cliché; specifically that pesky Hollywood/socialist trope that dictates that there’s something intrinsically good and noble about poor folk, and that the rich are evil exploiters, or – best case scenario – that they’re insensitive to the struggles of the poor. That said, the movie affords us some good laughs, and displays a warm heart and human insights. This Capra-esque comedy-drama stands defiantly in the face of the unending sequels, prequels, and “reimaginings” that currently litter our cineplexes.
Tat Wolfen is a multimedia communicator, entertainment commentator and leisure journalist. Tune in for Tat’s razor-sharp takes on the latest on stage and screen, every week on The Sandton Times Hour – Mondays at 7pm on 91.9FM or on a fine selection of the world’s leading podcast platforms. [Disclaimer: Views expressed by reviewers/contributors are their own, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Sandton Times and its ownership or management.]
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