Good Fortune
review by Bobby Blakey
Aziz Ansari has had a great career in comedy and TV for years and was set to make his directorial debut with the film Being Mortal but was sadly shut down. Now he is finally getting his directorial efforts to the masses with his film Good Fortune starring Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari, Keke Palmer, with Sandra Oh, and Keanu Reeves. Could this film bring something deeper and special with the laughs, or will it fail to find its blessing?
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Good Fortune follows a well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel who observes a struggling gig worker, Arj, who is barely making ends meet in Los Angeles, and intervenes to show him that money can't solve all his problems. Gabriel swaps Arj’s life with a wealthy venture capitalist, Jeff, but the plan backfires when Arj is convinced his newfound wealth has, in fact, solved all his problems. As Arj refuses to switch back, Jeff is left without his fortune, Gabriel loses his wings, and all three are forced to confront what it truly means to be human.
I have been looking forward to this film since I heard about the cast line up. The trailers were fun and promising, but I could never fully decide how deep this film might go. Now that I have ventured into the world of heaven and Earth with this film, I can say that I have seen the light and it is a great balance of all the things it needs to work and more than you might think. Make no mistake the laughs are here, but there is a great message and look into the world of class and expectations here that gives it more heart than you might be expecting.
The story dives right in setting up all the players with getting to see Gabriel’s role as a guardian angel of sorts, Arj in his struggles to find his
place in the world and Jeff who is living his best life. I was honestly expecting Rogen’s Jeff to be more of a douche before this all goes down, but he is a good guy, and Arj does it to himself to get fired. The film puts a new spin on the body swap idea that is clever and fun even forcing Gabriel into the mix in a different role than just angel. The cast are all great with Reeves stealing the show in a awkward delivery that fits the character and allows him to evolve with the story and other characters.
Ansari does a great job directing and starring in the film showcasing his abilities to craft a fun film and now doubt will have plenty more up his sleeve. Rogen has been taking on more and more of the regular guy roles with the chaos toned down and he does so once again here. I love that both Rogen and Ansari get the chance to mix up the personas and performances, but thanks to the set up don’t have to fully change their personalities. Its one of those films that brings more than you might expect, but everything you want in laughs, love, heart and life wrapped in a story that would make Michael Landon proud.
In addition to the film, this release offers bonus content including a trailer and numerous featurettes taking audiences behind bringing this comedy of heavenly proportions to life. Witness the coming of an angel, sort of, with Good Fortune available now on digital, Blu-ray and DVD from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.