When a well-meaning guardian angel involves himself in the lives of humans, the consequences extend far beyond anything he imagined. Written and directed by Aziz Ansari, Good Fortune is a body-swap comedy starring Ansari, Seth Rogen, and Keanu Reeves with Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh.
Arj (Ansari) is a down-on-his-luck documentarian struggling to keep his head above water. Working a host of low-paying jobs just to make ends meet, Arj is directionless and disillusioned with life. When Gabriel (Reeves) saves Arj from a car accident, he becomes inspired to use his abilities as a guardian angel to help Arj improve his life. In an attempt to show Arj that there is more to life than wealth and success, Gabriel swaps Arj’s life with that of his former boss Jeff (Rogen), a self-centred tech investor. Unfortunately for Gabriel, the plan backfires when he realises that Arj’s newfound riches have vastly improved his life.
Forced to live as a mortal as punishment for overstepping his duties, Gabriel and Jeff are stuck living Arj’s struggles while Arj enjoys the spoils of Jeff’s fortunes. As Gabriel and Jeff attempt to convince Arj to switch back to his old life, the duo form an unlikely friendship, grounded in their new understanding of everyday hurdles. As Jeff and Arj’s lives continue to intersect, the duo gradually learn to understand each other better, while Gabriel discovers a profound love for humanity and renewed purpose in his mission as an angel.
Marking his directorial debut, Good Fortune is a home run for comedian-actor Ansari. Far from reinventing the wheel, Good Fortune takes a familiar plot device and wrings it for everything it’s worth, producing an undeniably delicious result. Personally, I’m a sucker for a body-swap comedy with films like Freaky Friday and It’s a Boy Girl Thing being on constant rotation during my younger years. What I loved most about Good Fortune wasn’t the familiarity of its core concept, but the way it subverted it and made it all the funnier. So rarely do we see the hypothetical life make the protagonist happier, and in this way, Ansari sets his debut film far apart from its peers.
As if the plot wasn’t enough of a draw, Good Fortune boasts an incredible cast, the best of which is of course Keanu Reeves as Gabriel the angel. Reeves is brimming with naivety and hope, but when he becomes a mortal, his slow realisation that life for the everyman in Los Angeles is extremely hard, provides much of the film’s comedy. His performance is soft, kind, and incredibly wholesome. Who else could convincingly make you believe that he’d never eaten food before? Through Gabriel, we see the silver linings surrounding every bad situation and are reminded that for every hardship, there is joy to be found.
Rounding out the cast are the exceptional Sandra Oh and Keke Palmer as Martha, Gabriel’s angel boss, and Elena, Arj’s love interest. Although both characters are secondary to Arj, Jeff, and Gabriel, they soak up every minute of screen time they have. For Gabriel, Martha operates as a compass, reminding him that his job, albeit small, is vital, showing him how his actions have far-reaching consequences. While Elena’s drive inspires Arj to see beyond the menial jobs that they perform, discovering meaning in the little things life provides.
Despite its solid jokes and exceptional line deliveries from Reeves, Good Fortune is also firmly rooted in exposing the harsh realities of life in a gig economy. While it was funny to watch Jeff and Gabriel try to live Arj’s life, watching Arj live that way was tough. Known for his comedic work, Ansari displayed some latent dramatic abilities as his character battles homelessness while lying to his dad about how fulfilling his life in LA is.
In spite of a growing economy, the USA has consistently been a tough place to be employed, especially for people of colour, and Good Fortune doesn’t shy away from the fallout of the working class, whether it’s the need to work multiple jobs or sleep in your car just to get by.
A layered comedy that delivers equally in laughs and heartfelt moments, Good Fortune is a great body of work from a debut filmmaker and a very fun time from start to finish.