Good Fortune – Film Review
by Brian Merriman

Written, directed, produced and starring Aziz Ansari
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogan, Sandra Oh, Keke Palmer
Cinematography Adam Newport Berra

Duration: 97 Minutes

Good Fortune is listed as a supernatural comedy. It clearly had a big budget to attract such a stellar cast and to survive its release being delayed by the Hollywood strike in 2023. Readers who may remember the Michael Landon TV series ‘Highway to Heaven’ will be familiar with the plot where an angel appears to help humans through the trials of life. In a more modern time, Keanu’s Angel Gabriel (original!) is sent to stop people texting and driving. Landon’s TV series at least had a lot of charm, which contributed to its five-year success on television.

To emphasise the positives first, Aziz Ansari must be a very persuasive producer. He clearly secured a budget and attracted serious names, such as Rogan, Reeves, and Oh, to star in his screenplay. There, the success ends. The script is trite and predictable. From the opening shot, Reeve’s wings were so mediocre that it signalled the standard that would permeate through the long 97 minutes ahead.

Ansari is ambitious in many fields. He is a master of none. His screenplay places his character centre stage, and it is the weakest link in a weak production. His monotonous performance as Arj is colourless and charmless throughout. The Bill and Ted delivery of Reeve’s throughout is perhaps the only funny thing in this comedy, but it is accidental. Sandra Oh as Angel Martha happily makes only a few brief appearances, so it is unlikely to affect her celebrated status as an actor. I’m not sure Rogan and Reeves will escape so lightly.

Rogan as the wealthy Jeff, who finds his rich life interfered with by a clumsy rookie Angel, where he unwittingly is swapped into Arj’s impoverished existence while Arj gets to live Jeff’s rich life instead. The ‘moral dilemma’ is that Arj must value his real life more than the trappings and luxury of Jeff’s. Rogan, too, may undergo a transformation and realise his privilege and the cost to other low-paid employees as he profited. It is not edge-of-the-seat stuff.

Hats off to Ansari for funding and casting this flat story. His own contributions as writer and actor are well below par. Good fortune in life is often strongly influenced by the choices we make. You now have the choice of how to spend your next 97 free minutes. Choose wisely.