Aziz Ansari premiered his directorial debut, Good Fortune, at the Toronto International Film Festival over the weekend, and while early critical response suggests the film delivers laughs, it may not be the blessing it hopes to be.
The body-swap comedy that stars Keanu Reeves as Gabriel, an angel on a quest for deeper meaning in his work, who crosses paths with Arj (played by Ansari), a hapless gig worker. A cosmic mix-up soon finds Arj switching bodies with a wealthy venture capitalist, played by Seth Rogen. The ensemble cast also includes Sandra Oh and Keke Palmer, and the film is set to hit theaters on Oct. 17.
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Nick Schager at The Daily Beast says that while the setup holds promise, the execution wavers. “Ansari’s script is too light on sharp one-liners,” he writes. Even Reeves’ charismatic turn can only do so much to prop up the dialogue. “Reeves’ inspired Bill and Ted’s-ish delivery notwithstanding, the dialogue frequently lacks bite, and in its final stages, it gets preachy to a borderline-egregious degree.” Still, Schager acknowledges that the film is not without its charms. “Ansari’s maiden directorial outing gets by on its agreeable vibes and Reeves’ delightful turn — even if, ultimately, it falls a bit short of heavenly.”
That sentiment is echoed by The Guardian’s Benjamin Lee, who compares the film to Ansari’s earlier work, particularly the Netflix comedy Master of None. Lee writes, “Ansari is an undeniably funny person,” but argues that the filmmaker’s strengths don’t translate easily to the genre he’s now attempting. “Master of None was a show of wry observational humor about the often absurd realities of dating and work and friendship. It felt like the perfect mode for Ansari, who also made for a charismatic lead. Transporting his sensibility to a high-concept comedy fantasy is a gambit that just sadly doesn’t work.” Though the central trio of Ansari, Reeves, and Rogen are likable, Lee finds the film’s early promise fizzles quickly. “There’s no sense of pace to it, with some rushed and alienating editing, Ansari desperately in need of the confident hand and slicker formula found in the films he’s trying to emulate.”
At RogerEbert.com, Brian Tallerico also highlights the tension between a clever concept and underdeveloped execution. “It feels like Ansari came up with a great idea before really figuring where he was going to take it.” While he praises Palmer’s performance he suggests the film never quite gels. “She is charming every time, and that’s certainly the case here, even if she doesn’t exactly have enough chemistry with Ansari.”
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter’s Michael Rechtshaffen says the film’s earnestness, but questions its competing tones calling it an “alternately fun and clunky satire.” While the film packs its share of genuine laughs he writes, “the end result can’t escape feeling like a hodgepodge, incapable of cohesively blending the satirical elements with the earnest messaging foremost on its mind.” Still, he concludes that Good Fortune remains watchable, “Good Fortune coasts along agreeably on all those good intentions.”
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