Let Keanu Reeves Grin More Often: A Look at His Role in the New Film
Good Fortune, the fantasy comedy by comedian the director, has been facing challenges at the box office. Several reasons may explain the film's reception: Its generic title fails to convey the film's distinctive appeal. The screenplay can be preachy and heavy-handed with its themes. Its acting are flat and presentational, like the cast are reading dialogue straight from the page. Moreover, it arrives during an era of economic uncertainty and disparity, that could render audiences less open to a story which implies wealthy people have every advantages while those in need have spirit.
But, this is where the movie stands out: The film is original, daring, imaginative, frequently humorous, and certainly relevant. And, it offers an unexpectedly great Keanu Reeves character-driven movie.
Keanu Reeves as an Angel: A Familiar Portrayal
I have never regarded Reeves a strong performer. The actor's flat delivery and persistent look of mild concern have always seemed limited, regardless of the wide variety of roles he has played over the past four decades of his career. Smart filmmakers have often placed him in parts where his rigidity fits ideally, from his early work to the sci-fi classic to the action series. Yet nearly all of these characters required Reeves to appear tough, closed-off, or removed.
Throughout the film, the actor portrays Gabriel, a minor protecting angel tasked with watching over people who use their phones while driving. His entire job involves sitting in their vehicles and lightly touching the drivers' arms when they're close to crash, warning them in order that the driver stop in time. However, when positioned high above the city, looking down on humanity like an alternative version of a celestial figure from the director's renowned movie the angel story, Gabriel gets ambitious. He wants to be an exceptional protector and a savior of wayward individuals.
A Unexpected Turn: Reeves Playing a Mortal
So, Gabriel reveals his presence to struggling handyman a character (portrayed by the director), who is living out of a vehicle and resenting his situation. Gabriel then exchanges Arj with the life of stupidly rich businessman a character (played by Seth Rogen). The point of the experiment is for the character to understand Jeff's existence comes with significant downsides, and gratefully go back to his original circumstances, similar to a figure in the classic film.
Issue was, Arj right away discovers that Jeff's issues (tedious appointments, expensive heating invoice) prove negligible and readily resolved with money. He further realizes that being affluent provides limitless chances for self-indulgent fun. The character has no desire in going back to his previous situation, and the angel can't force Arj to return. Then, more bad news arrives: Because of overstepping his mandate and disrupting the order of the world, the character loses his position as an angel role, and turned to a human being.
The Revelation: Keanu Reeves Smiles
I was not persuaded by Reeves as an angel who has grand aspirations and a burning wish to make a difference. Reeves turns in a familiar vaguely constipated acting he has been offering for no less than the last 3 decades. Watching him as an celestial being who's just become human for the first time, on the other hand, was a blast, due to something which truly surprised me initially: It's something different for the actor. Or more accurately, something from the past.
Early during his baffling experience as a mortal, staying with the wealthy character (whom the angel exchanged into Arj's precarious existence and jobless status), Gabriel starts tentatively experimenting with human activities such as chewing and swallowing food. Then the actor grins. Genuinely, hesitantly, happily beams. (This is a lot more believable than the grin on the promotional image, which looks digitally altered.)
Why This Grin Matters
It truly surprised me to realize just how unexpected and refreshing that expression felt. At what point did we last we saw Keanu Reeves grin in a movie in which he wasn't expressing malice, sarcasm, or bitterness? He probably attempts a smile at some point in the recent ill-conceived the sequel, however I am not going to revisiting that disappointment to confirm. Reeves has remained stuck with grim, violent, introspective, or simply solemn roles for such a duration that just seeing Reeves smile felt like seeing an entirely different actor.
As the plot goes on, the character ends up having to take a dishwashing job, which doesn't pay sufficient for survival, and he begins smoking heavily out of frustration. Simply the sight of Reeves in a cheap plastic restaurant hat, his late-career trademark long hair tied in a plain bun, leaning against a building and smoking a cigarette, proves worthy of watching. The kitchen worker attire totally changes his appearance and posture: Unexpectedly, the lean, well-dressed physical powerhouse of the John Wick movies becomes gawky, unglamorous, and much more human.
The Joy of Viewing Keanu Loosen Up
The film isn't always fun to view, especially when Ansari (that additionally wrote the screenplay) must create believable reasons for {Ar
