"Good Fortune": A Whirlwind Journey of Angels, Celebrities, and The American Dream

Aziz Ansari has taken full advantage of his directorial debut, spinning a fresh story combined with nostalgia from beloved classic films. "Good Fortune", whilst doing its best to deliver a humorous yet satirical reflection of the American dream, sometimes feels like a concoction of great ideas that don't always blend into a smooth cinematic cocktail.

Keanu Reeves is the diamond in this film's rough, pulling off a hilarious performance as a "budget guardian angel", Gabriel, striving for a bigger role in the heavens than keeping us lowly mortals from tempting fate by texting whilst driving. In doing so, he brings echoes of his deadpan humour from days of yore, including gems like "Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure" and "Parenthood".

Fans of Ansari from shows like "Master of None" and "Parks and Recreation" may find this film perfectly palatable when it hits the silver screen on October 17. It seems the big-screen experience might complement the nostalgic feel of the film more than a usual sofa-and-popcorn Netflix night.

Sporting a bargain-bin angel outfit – tattered raincoat and wee wings – Reeves' celestial intern Gabriel, starts his journey from the high vantage of L.A.'s Griffith Observatory, observing the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of society below. Gabriels' aim? To move up from minor interventions to saving a full-blown lost soul. As Sandra Oh's character Martha, his superior officer, succinctly puts it, “to save a lost soul you first have to find a lost soul.”

Enter Arj, played by Ansari, a rookie documentary editor wrestling with the gig economy. Juggling shifts at the Hardware Heaven home improvement store and completing unexciting tasks from the TaskSergeant app – like obtaining a trending cinnamon bun after a tiresome two-hour wait for an impatient customer. His precarious financial situation sees an upturn when he stumbles upon Seth Rogen’s character, Jeff, a successful venture capitalist. In a somewhat fairytale twist, Arj winds up as Jeff’s personal assistant, only to lose it all due to a minor transgression.

Gabriel’s attempt to give Arj a glimpse of "the other side" by making Arj and Jeff switch lives for a week, reminiscent of Clarence from "It’s A Wonderful Life", takes a spin when Arj refuses to revert to his former life. However, the meddling results in Gabriel getting his wings clipped and him getting a crash course in human living - complete with a new wardrobe and a penchant for fast food!

Despite some comedy hits and misses, the film's heart, penned by Ansari, is in the right place. While the blend of comedy and serious conversation can sometimes feel a bit bumpy, his effort to create a modern "message movie" in the vein of Frank Capra and Preston Sturges is commendable.

Though the social commentary element feels slightly heavy-handed, mainly delivered via Keke Palmer's character, Elena, it slightly douses her usual infectious energy. Perhaps a bigger dose of Sandra Oh could have improved the mix, too. Nonetheless, thanks to the cast’s sparkling chemistry and the air of spontaneity in their spot-on comic dialogues, "Good Fortune" sails merrily on a wave of goodwill.