Best Keanu: “I’m sorry.”

Of course, the stunt coordinator of John Wick didn’t create the game Icebreaker, but that’s what Keanu Reeves — the hyper-fictionalized version of himself that he plays — claims in Always Be My Maybe.

The scene made me think about a time I played Icebreaker, years ago, at a party, but it wasn’t nearly as entertaining as in this movie. For one thing, it didn’t end with Keanu Reeves smashing a vase over his head and challenging Randall Park to a fight. No, our version was much more tame.

If the film had Keanu play something closer to his actual public image — humble, kind, unassuming — the cameo wouldn’t be nearly as funny as it is. And it is very funny, somehow even funnier when you see the entire movie and not just the clips on YouTube. With the full movie, you get how the cameo makes sense in context — and how it could just very well drive Randall Park off the edge.

When hyper-Keanu arrives at a restaurant and makes out with Ali Wong, they exchange “I miss…” phrases. At one point, Wong says, “I missed your thumbs. You’re so good with your thumbs.” Which could be just a crazy, funny comment — but I reckon it’s a reference to Siberia that maybe only a handful of people on earth would have picked up on.

(The first couple of times I saw Siberia, I missed the thumb thing completely. It’s very quick, and happens very soon after you’re still in a state of shock from seeing Keanu’s character, well… watch it. You’ll see it.)

Of course, maybe it’s just a random reference to Keanu’s thumbs, but I’ll take any opportunity to talk about Siberia, my favourite Keanu Reeves movie. It’s truly fantastic.

Always Be My Maybe is not super high on my list of Keanu films, but it’s an entertaining watch. For awhile it feels a little unreal but senses its own unreal premise early enough to make up for it so the main characters make enough changes in time that, in the end, you buy it. It’s sweet, and heartwarming, and funny, and there’s a rap song by Park about punching Keanu Reeves.

July 2022