Written by Dilan Fernando

“I’m living everyday like a hustle… another day, another struggle.” - The Notorious B.I.G.

These lyrics encapsulate the spirit of grit, tenacity and survival that push the characters of Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut feature, Good Fortune. Ansari writes, directs, produces and acts in the film mirroring the main character Arj (Aziz Ansari) a gig worker who works odd jobs listed on a job board – Task Sergeant. Arj cleans, delivers, builds and organizes for those people with disposable income and the means to have others work for them. Arj also works as a food delivery driver through an app, Foodster. Work is good when it’s available, however, it’s the moments in between jobs where Arj really works. Many struggling actors-artists making their way into the movie business have gone a similar route. Despite heartbreak after heartbreak, setback after setback Arj continues to move forward. One of the earliest scenes in the film shows Arj anxiously waiting in a long line for gourmet cinnamon buns at a bakery, ‘There Will be Buns’. A baker announces that the bakery has sold out for the day. Arj ultimately loses the job and does not receive any compensation for his effort and time. As the line disperses Arj notices a man in fancy clothes named Jeff (Seth Rogen) sauntering over to the baker who hands him a brown paper bag. Arj asks about the buns being given despite the announcement early. The baker responds, “That’s one of our investors.” It’s here where Ansari illustrates the most valuable things for service workers that have no monetary value – time and effort. This is Arj’s working life. In Arj’s personal life he lives out of his car, goes to the gym to shower and wears stained clothing. Amidst all this calamity, there is some stability when he begins working part-time as an associate at Hardware Heaven (a home improvement store).

On the roofs of Los Angeles’ landmarks like the Roosevelt Hotel and Griffith Observatory overlooking these lives are guardian angels – Martha (Sandra Oh), Azrael (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and Gabriel (Keanu Reeves). Each of them specializing in a categories ranging from natural disasters to lost souls on the brink of suicide. Azrael is the epitome of a great angel according to Gabriel’s perception; Gabriel whose category is texting and driving (saving distracted drivers) hopes to ascend to Azrael’s level, and begins searching for a lost soul. One day when on assignment he meets Arj, who after getting let go from a food delivery gig texts the job dispatcher nearly crashing into a semi-truck. Gabriel speaks to Martha about the possibility of working towards saving lost souls. Martha reiterates that Gabriel’s task is to save people from texting and driving. This is subtle and interesting commentary for workers who are in a perpetual cycle of ‘working in place’rather than closer to their goal. Gabriel sees this as an opportunity to ascend by helping Arj.

While working at Hardware Heaven, Arj meets Elena (Keke Palmer), a diligent worker who strives to provide better union benefits for all the associates. She asks Arj about what his next move is and tries to get him to join her cause by asking him what his thoughts are on a union. Arj gives a cynical response, which Elena sees as a challenge leaving him with some hope for better whether he knows what that is or not. With jobs that have unions some do a great deal for their workers while others have workers doing a great deal for their union. In the instance of the latter, it’s like working two jobs with half the pay. A union is superfluous especially when Ark is already scraping by with minimal resources. Gabriel continues to watch over Arj hoping to see if his outlook on life changes.

*Good Fortune* is a decent comedy film that is meant to lift spirits and guide us.

Arj is given a food delivery job and travels to a luxurious neighborhood to the home of Jeff (the cinnamon bun investor). The pair chat and Jeff gives Arj a task to organize his garage. After completing the task Arj asks Jeff if he needs an assistant. Jeff reluctantly agrees to give Arj a week-long tryout. This working relationship seems like it’s off to a good start on both sides with Arj doing virtually every task with efficiency and precision. Jeff begins compiling the checklist for his 40th birthday party as Arj scrambles to put everything together. Jeff and Arj are almost work friends with Jeff giving Arj a company credit card, tips on what to do with Elena for an upcoming date and lending him a jacket to borrow. Arj’s date with Elena is a big success after following Jeff’s advice. However, when the check arrives Arj is unable to pay it on his own and is behooved to pay for Elena to make a good impression, resulting in the use of Jeff’s credit card leading to Arj’s termination by Jeff. Going to a Denny’s, Arj eats, falls asleep in a booth and is kicked out to the parking lot only to see that his car has been impounded. Walking the edge for so long, it’s here where Arj looks over the side for a final answer.

Enter Gabriel into Arj’s life, which goes against the angel’s unspoken code. Gabriel’s ambition and way of living echoes that of Otto Kruger’s Randolph in Magnificent Obsession (1954), “Just be of real service to people. Find people who need help and help them.” Gabriel shows Arj how much better his life is if he continues to have hope – getting into a relationship with Elena moving to Texas, having to put their dog down, moving into Elena’s mother’s house and working a job as a delivery driver (having to pee in bottles to keep up efficiency). This is where Gabriel really sympathises and gives Arj an opportunity to live Jeff’s lifestyle for a week and having Jeff ‘rough it’ in Aziz’s lifestyle. Ansari’s influences on the film are more apparent during this turning point in the plot – Sullivan’s Travels (1941), It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and Wings of Desire (1987). Once Jeff begins struggling, eager to switch and Arj settles into a life of luxury refusing to leave, Gabriel is called upon by Martha to discuss the mix-up, resulting in his demotion to mortal with the removal of his wings.

Living alongside Jeff as a roommate and friend, optimistic about life on the other side learns what it means to be human; eating burgers, chicken nuggets, milkshakes and smoking cigarettes – life’s simple pleasures. There’s a tragic and comedic line that Gabriel says to Arj one day when they go out dancing, “I used to be a celestial being, now I’m a chainsmoker.” that depicts the resentment that people in this situation have. Despite the setback of being a mortal, Keanu Reeves’ charm and humility makes it seem as though Gabriel is playing Keanu. Reeves’ standout performance is one of the best qualities about Good Fortune and shows the range that he has as an actor. However, apart from some good jokes, some interesting commentary about the economic toll on people’s lives and what empathy is. Ansari’s ideas aren’t fully expanded upon to give the film depth that goes beyond its plot. There is a lesson in the film but is it the one that Ansari hopes the audience will understand? One of the most poetic lines that echoes after watching the film is in a scene between Martha and Gabriel about how his trying to better the life of one affects the lives of many, “Gabriel, sometimes people don’t need an angel. All they need is another person.” Maybe that’s the message, someone to help us through.

Dilan Fernando graduated with a degree in Communications from Brock University. ”Written sentiments are more poetic than spoken word. Film will always preserve more than digital could ever. Only after a great film experience can one begin to see all that life has to offer.“