Good Fortune

by Mike McGranaghan

Former Parks & Recreation star Aziz Ansari makes his directorial debut with Good Fortune, a movie he also wrote and stars in. Taking on that triple-threat task is a challenge for any performer, no matter how talented. In Ansari’s case, he bites off more than he can chew, leading to the mediocre execution of a premise that had tons of potential.

The comedian plays Arj, a financially struggling gig worker whose satisfaction in life is extremely low. He lands a job working for wealthy tech bro Jeff (Seth Rogen), only to get fired for a minor infraction. Noticing how despondent Arj has become, his guardian angel Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) steps in, giving Jeff’s life to Arj and vice versa. This does not sit well with Gabriel’s boss, Martha (Sandra Oh), because he’s a “budget guardian angel” whose sole responsibility is to stop people from texting and driving. Keke Palmer also stars as Elena, the hardware store employee both poor and rich versions of Arj try to romance.

Obviously, the plot of Good Fortune is inspired by the 1983 Eddie Murphy/Dan Aykroyd comedy Trading Places. The differences between the two are significant. The earlier film possessed a lot of bite. It had something to say not only about economic disparity in the United States but also about the political machinations that intentionally keep that disparity in place. This one, on the other hand, adheres largely to a feel-good tone whose only real point is that workers deserve a better wage. Not exactly a groundbreaking sentiment.

The other major problem is that Ansari cast himself in the lead role. He’s certainly a funny guy. The role calls for somebody with much more of a live-wire presence, though. Trading Places excelled because Eddie Murphy brought anger to his character, Billy Ray Valentine, during the poverty scenes and a sense of entitlement to those in which he’s loaded. That drove the movie’s scathing satire. Ansari is too concerned with being a good guy and shaving off any edges Arj may have, dulling the satire in the process.

This is not to say there aren’t some positive aspects to the picture. Keanu Reeves is fantastic as Gabriel. A running gag involving the angel’s fondness for “chicken nuggies” is delightfully goofy. Playing a sad-sack character is different for the actor, and Reeves walks off with every scene he’s in. Seth Rogen gets a couple decent moments, too, as does Keke Palmer. It’s also undeniable that the movie is fundamentally nice, maintaining an easy-to-watch quality throughout.

Given those involved, I simply expected Good Fortune to be much funnier than it is. Despite the heartwarming vibe and the appealing performances, it never proves to be a true side-splitter. Ansari’s screenplay lacks the zing that might have made this an era-defining comedy, just as Trading Places was to the Reagan era.

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