NoodleNumbat
Well-known member
A new comedy film has hit theaters, "Good Fortune," which satirically explores the concept of rags-to-riches success stories. The movie follows Aziz Ansari as Arj, a struggling freelance documentary editor who sleeps in his car and hustles to make ends meet in Los Angeles' gig economy.
Arj lands a job with wealthy tech bro venture capitalist Jeff (Seth Rogen), organizing the garage of his luxurious home at the top of the hill. However, their cushy gig is short-lived as Arj makes an error that gets him fired. As fate would have it, Arj's path crosses with Keanu Reeves' character Gabriel, an unfulfilled guardian angel stuck in a menial job saving people who text while driving.
Gabriel saves Arj's life and tries to convince his boss Martha (Sandra Oh) to allow him to save Arj's soul. As the two form an unlikely bond, Gabriel introduces Arj to a glimpse of his future – one that involves living a poor working-class existence and struggling with financial issues.
In a bold move, Gabriel offers Arj an alternative: switching lives with Jeff for a week. However, he warns Arj that Jeff's life is not all it seems. As Arj delves into the high life, he becomes increasingly disconnected from his previous struggles.
Despite some inconsistent laughs, "Good Fortune" shines with Keanu Reeves as Gabriel, who brings childlike innocence and wonder to his character. The film tackles themes of class inequality and social status, but in a manner that avoids demonizing wealth.
Overall, director Aziz Ansari delivers a commendable debut with this satirical comedy.
Arj lands a job with wealthy tech bro venture capitalist Jeff (Seth Rogen), organizing the garage of his luxurious home at the top of the hill. However, their cushy gig is short-lived as Arj makes an error that gets him fired. As fate would have it, Arj's path crosses with Keanu Reeves' character Gabriel, an unfulfilled guardian angel stuck in a menial job saving people who text while driving.
Gabriel saves Arj's life and tries to convince his boss Martha (Sandra Oh) to allow him to save Arj's soul. As the two form an unlikely bond, Gabriel introduces Arj to a glimpse of his future – one that involves living a poor working-class existence and struggling with financial issues.
In a bold move, Gabriel offers Arj an alternative: switching lives with Jeff for a week. However, he warns Arj that Jeff's life is not all it seems. As Arj delves into the high life, he becomes increasingly disconnected from his previous struggles.
Despite some inconsistent laughs, "Good Fortune" shines with Keanu Reeves as Gabriel, who brings childlike innocence and wonder to his character. The film tackles themes of class inequality and social status, but in a manner that avoids demonizing wealth.
Overall, director Aziz Ansari delivers a commendable debut with this satirical comedy.
! It's crazy how Arj's life is turned upside down after that near-death experience and then you get to see him experiencing the other side of the tracks with Jeff. I'm all about exploring class inequality in comedy because it's a real issue, but sometimes it can feel like we're avoiding it instead of confronting it head-on 
. Still, "Good Fortune" is definitely a funny commentary on how our perceptions of success can be skewed and I think Aziz Ansari did an awesome job with the satire 
.
Keanu Reeves as an unfulfilled guardian angel is like the most relatable thing ever lol and his chemistry with Aziz Ansari is REAL 
Arj's transformation from rags to riches to struggling back down is so on point 
its like the movie is speaking directly to my soul but at the same time i cant help but laugh at the absurdity of it all 
the class commentary is subtle yet impactful and the film knows exactly how to poke fun at our society's obsession with wealth without getting too preachy 
aziz ansari as a director is a total hidden gem tbh 
. And can we talk about how they're promoting it? The trailer is all about Gabriel's interactions with Arj and their unlikely friendship 
, but not much of Arj's struggles as a freelancer... feels like we're missing out on some good background story 
. Also, the whole switching lives thing sounds super gimmicky 
. Don't get me wrong, Keanu Reeves is awesome in it, but I think they could've taken more risks with the plot 
.
! His character is just so... earnest and pure, it's hard not to love him. The satire on class inequality is so sharp and relevant too - I loved how it poked fun at the whole 'rags-to-riches' thing without being mean-spirited. Overall, I'm so stoked Aziz Ansari gave us a film that's both hilarious and thought-provoking 
. Don't get me wrong, Keanu brings his usual charm to the role, but I'm not sure if that's enough to make this movie stand out from other comedies 
. And what really got my attention was how it tackles class inequality and social status - it feels a bit... heavy-handed 
. Still, I'll give it credit for being a fun watch and Aziz Ansari's debut as a director isn't half bad 
, he brings so much heart to the role!
. It's like, we need more movies that tackle these issues in a way that's both entertaining and thought-provoking 
.
. But overall, I'm so stoked to see Aziz Ansari's directorial debut bring such an important message to the table 
!
it's like, we've all seen those Instagram influencers who seem to have it made but really they're just as struggling as anyone else 
and the casting is everything - Keanu Reeves as a guardian angel? genius 
but what I think I love most about this movie is how it tackles class inequality in a super subtle yet impactful way 
.
but then he gets fired and i was like yikes! 
anywayz after that he meets gabriel aka keanu Reeves and that dude is just soooo nice