Good Fortune: Movie Review

Cast: Aziz Ansari, Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh
Director: Aziz Ansari

Aziz Ansari's debut film meshes a look at the gig economy, unions and It's A Wonderful Life with relative simplicity and not too much depth. But that's not to say it's without its vicariouis pleasures and laugh-out-loud moments.

Though perhaps in parts, it could have used a touch more of the absurd.

Ansari plays Arj, a would-be documentarian, who goes from job to job, barely getting by - certainly never getting ahead - and living in his car in various diners. Taking part-time jobs or random assignments, he spends his days living hand-to-mouth and looking for a big break.

But in the background of his life is Gabriel, a low-ranking angel, whose role is to stop people while texting and driving and save their lives. After Gabriel does this for Arj when he loses another job, he decides to follow Arj, believing him to be a lost soul in need of saving.

It's part altruism and also part Gabriel wanting to climb the ladder within his own angel hierarchy.

So when Arj takes an assignment to clear out opulent tech-bro Jeff's garage, he seizes on an opportunity and asks Jeff (Rogen, in relatively-dialled down mode) for a gig as his assistant. 

But given a peek into how the other half live, Gabriel decides to swap Arj and Jeff's circumstances in the hope that Arj will find something to cling to, without the need for excess. However, it doesn't quite go to plan....

Good Fortune has its moments - and while the sweetly rendered story is a little too saccharine and soft to truly dig into the economy's failings and the societal issues, it proves to be an amiable ride. It's a satire without real bite, a film of recognition, but one that wraps up everything so neatly at the end, it's almost twee.

Ansari plays an occasionally downbeat version of his Parks and Recreation character, all manic one moment and then loud the next. But he's an engaging character to latch on to and a symbol of what's wrong with the economy's hierarchy for those forced into various degrees of servitude.

Yet, Ansari does nothing major with this set-up, preferring instead to have peals of admonition and frustration from those watching growing in the background. It's a shame because while the film offers some truly hilarious off-kilter moments (including Reeves' angel bemoaning the fact he's gone from a celestial being to a chainsmoker), it never quite has the oomph to savage what it's seeing.

Rogen's understated performance speaks to the maturity he's finding as an actor, and Reeves proves to be excellent comedic fare as the Clarence the angel looking for his wings as the movie riffs on its It's A Wonderful Life-lite premise.

Keke Palmer makes the most of the scenes she appears in, but despite an empathetic performance, she's given too little to work with.

Good Fortune isn't quite as angelic as it wants, and closer inspection may leave you feeling it's not tapped into its full potential. But it has to be said, despite its triteness in places, if you happen to catch this film, you'll consider yourself more blessed by the Good Fortune of the cinema, rather than cursed by its demons.