Aziz Ansari’s “Good Fortune” Delivers Heart, Humor, and a Dose of Harsh Reality

[the following review is spoiler-free]

For the past nearly two decades, Aziz Ansari has been a prominent figure in TV, Film, and stand-up comedy. From Parks and Recreation to Master of None, Ansari has proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with in terms of acting and writing, but this month he expanded his resume by releasing his feature directorial debut, Good Fortune, which he also wrote and produced. Starring Seth Rogan and Keanu Reeves, Keke Palmer, and Sandra Oh, the film may have a star-studded cast and a big budget, but does it prove that Ansari deserves to be in the driver's seat?

Good Fortune follows Arj (Ansari), a down-on-his-luck college graduate, finding himself doing odd jobs throughout LA that he's overqualified for. One day he comes into contact with Gabriel (Reeves), who tries to show Arj that his life is worth living by switching lives with wealthy boss, Jeff (Rogan), who is less than thrilled about the whole ordeal...

Good Fortune is a very different film for Lionsgate. It's a heartfelt comedy that surprisingly has a lot of intelligent insight on income inequality and economic struggles in the US. Unfortunately, the film has been struggling at the box office, but maintaining positive reviews from both critics and audiences.

I was not expecting to enjoy Good Fortune as much as I did. It's a film I have been absolutely bombarded with advertisements for but haven't heard any actual people talk about. For the past few weeks, Los Angeles has been plastered over with images of broken fortune cookies and a winged Keanu Reeves, but it hasn't been enough to keep the film from losing money. This is a genuine shame, as the film has an important, timely message about the state of the American economy that way too many people will be able to relate to. Think of it as a much more socially conscious version of Kevin Smith's Dogma.

Audiences will find it easy to see themselves in Arj, a character who reflects the sad truth about the times we're living in. He's a college graduate who finds himself barely scraping by, doing menial tasks like delivering food or standing in lines for people, all while sleeping in his car. The truth is, the job market is at an all-time low, and it's harder than ever for qualified people to earn the roles they deserve. As a soon-to-be college grad about to enter the job market, this film terrified me as much as it made me laugh. Keanu Reeve's performance as Gabriel is an absolute riot, it's surprising how well he fairs in absurdist comedy after years of being cast as the stoic action hero. If any casting agents are reading, please cast him in more comedies!

I'll admit, as well-meaning as this film's message is, I couldn't help but find it a bit phony coming from the mouth's of some of the film industry's richest figures. That being said, it felt good to see Seth Rogan's character learn to look out for the little guy.

Speaking of money, Good Fortune had a budget of $30 million but I cannot, for the life of me, figure out where the majority of that money went. The film has an unusually small cast with no flashy special effects so my best guess is that the majority of the budget went into advertising, something that unfortunately is not helping at the box office. It's all just kind of baffling.

With all that being said, Aziz Ansari and company should be proud of the story they were able to tell with Good Fortune. It's not only a solid piece of social commentary, but also a lighthearted reminder to treat people with dignity because you never know where you might end up at the end of the day.