Plot: What’s it about?
I think it says something about a performer when they’re willing to attempt the “triple threat.” By that I mean writing, directing and acting in a film. Aziz Ansari, who you’ve no doubt seen (or heard), in many shows and a few films tries his best to accomplish that feat here. What he attempts to do here is admirable, but I was also wondering if he tried to spread himself a bit too thin? Add in Seth Rogen and Keanu Reeves to the mix and, well, you’ve either got something really special or you’ve wasted some folks’ time. I think the end result is an equal mix of the two. Nevertheless, you can’t fault someone for trying so I was willing to devote 97 minutes of my life to make my own judgment.
We meet Arj (Aziz Ansari) who’s financially struggling between gigs, but also finds that the level of satisfaction in his life is relatively low. He manages to land a job working for Jeff (Seth Rogen), a well-to-do venture capitalist who also fires Arj for a very minor infraction. Gabriel (Keanu Reeves), is Arj’s guardian angel and steps in by pulling a Freaky Friday – giving Jeff’s life to Arj and vice-versa. This doesn’t sit too well with Martha (Sandra Oh), Gabriel’s “boss” (for lack of a better term). As it turns out Gabriel’s real mission in life is to stop people from texting and driving – good luck with that. Obviously, the old adage “walking a mile in another man’s shoes…” applies here, so we’ll have to ask ourselves if Jeff has finally seen the light thanks to his newfound predicament.
If the plot sounds a bit familiar, that’s because there are shades of the 1983 comedy Trading Places sprinkled in. If you’ve never seen it, the two characters essentially are swapped in their respective life roles and make the best of a bad situation. Check it it out if you haven’t, Jamie Lee Curtis is topless in it as well, so it’s got that goin’…There are some good parts to the film and there’s certainly not a life-altering message other than some people are underpaid for what it is they do. The whole guardian angel aspect of it seems a bit trite, but I tried my best to go with it. Ansari has talent, I’m not denying that, but this one is a bit all over place. It’s not a total waste of time, but it could have probably been improved with little effort.
Video: How’s it look?
Ah, Los Angeles…is there any film in which it doesn’t look bright, colorful and cheery? Cheery? Yes. Quite. We find I sporting a 1.85:1 AVC HD encode might not have quite the color spectrum of a 4K movie, but then again it doesn’t really need to. For the masses, Blu-ray looks as good as most will ever want and need it to look so there’s that. Right then, moving on we find all the usual caveats with exceptional color, detail and strong, bold contrast. What more could we ask for? A couple of scenes seemed a bit on the softer side, but on the whole this new-to-the-format disc will keep everyone quite happy indeed.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Dolby Atmos. Yep, you read that right. We’re now at the point when light-hearted comedies are sporting these next generation tracks and I’m past the point where my jaw drops every time. By and large, the track sounds good but given what these tracks are capable of, I found it a bit underutilized. Regardless, we’ve got vocals all across the spectrum with Reeve’s deep, commanding voice, Rogen’s gravely and Ansari’s high-pitched vocals all competing for attention. Surrounds are used often enough, but nothing that really resonated (pardon the pun) with me. All in all it’s a good mix, but a rather forgettable one as well.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – Explore Aziz Ansari’s latest comedy as the talented filmmakers take you behind the scenes of a story centered on love, friendship, and what it means to be human. With him is Producer Alan Yang.
- Life Swap: Making Good Fortune – Get to know the cast of this fresh and funny film brought to life by the comedic vision of Hollywood star Aziz Ansari.
- The Los Angeles of Good Fortune – Travel along with the filmmakers through some of the iconic and real locations from the film that have a place in the hearts of Angelenos.
- The Clothes Make the Man…and the Angel – Follow the costume department as they share the intricate process of creating the wardrobe and wings of Hollywood angel, Keanu Reeves.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
I might have been a bit hard on the film. Truthfully there’s nothing really wrong with it and I’m a big fan of the talent involved. The plot is a bit far-fetched and the overall message a bit smug, but on the whole it didn’t waste my time. Lionsgate’s Blu-ray looks and sounds good and we get a smattering of extras that sweeten the deal (there are online exclusives with other extras not found on the disc).
