Prepare for a truly divine comedy! In the bustling “City of Angels,” Los Angeles, the film Good Fortune introduces us to Gabriel (played by Keanu Reeves), a charmingly clumsy angel. During an angelic assembly, Gabriel, tasked with supervising texting drivers, expresses dissatisfaction with his seemingly trivial duties. This feeling intensifies after hearing Azrael (Stephen McKinley Henderson) recount another triumphant soul-saving mission, prompting Gabriel to yearn for more impactful work.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Arj (Aziz Ansari), a documentary editor, struggles significantly to make ends meet. He juggles various jobs and even sleeps in his car, all while carefully concealing his dire circumstances from his father. At a hardware store, Arj crosses paths with Elena (Keke Palmer), a determined individual advocating for improved working conditions.
Good Fortune (English)
As a gig worker, Arj takes on a trial week as an assistant to Jeff, a quintessential tech bro, after helping organize Jeff’s garage. Arj’s new responsibilities involve everything from finding a shaman to arranging a disco floor for Jeff’s 40th birthday celebration. A cascade of unfortunate events soon leads to Arj losing his job, and when his car is towed away while he naps at a diner, it appears he has truly hit rock bottom.
Witnessing Arj’s plight, Gabriel decides to intervene. Believing that wealth wouldn’t necessarily improve Arj’s life, he initiates a body swap between Arj and Jeff. However, Gabriel’s plan backfires spectacularly, as Jeff’s financial resources effortlessly resolve most of Arj’s problems. For his unauthorized interference, Gabriel’s wings are removed by his boss, Martha (Sandra Oh), and he is sent to Earth as a human. Jeff, now experiencing life as an ordinary person, is in for a rude awakening, while Gabriel surprisingly revels in his newfound humanity, discovering a love for dancing, tacos, and milkshakes, even as he faces mundane tasks like washing mountains of dishes and watching baby elephants online.
The only path for Gabriel to reclaim his angelic wings is if Arj willingly chooses to revert to his original life. Through their intertwined experiences, all three characters gain profound life lessons: from understanding that money, while convenient, doesn’t solve every fundamental issue, to confronting the harsh realities of the modern gig economy, which mirrors the app-driven lives of many overworked delivery personnel. The film subtly highlights these societal parallels.
The ensemble cast exhibits fantastic chemistry, generating infectious energy throughout the film. Reeves subtly grooves to unseen celestial rhythms, Oh imparts wisdom with a rarefied air, and Rogen delivers humor through his character’s shocked reactions to everyday life. Ansari, who both wrote and directed Good Fortune, aimed to address “things that everyone is dealing with that no one is talking about,” and he achieves this with remarkable style in a charming film. It’s brimming with genuine humor and heartfelt moments, where its jokes and insightful observations consistently land. One last thought: is the character name Arj a subtle nod to Raj?
Good Fortune is currently showing in theaters.