Franny

source: The Benefactor

Or is it actually rock bottom? One thing is for sure, you need someone relatable and likable like Gere to portray this character. Otherwise the viewer would have a lot of trouble to watch this in general and feel something (empathy for example). His character is not completely lost when we begin. Quite the opposite that is, until we jump forward in time (and jump back and forth a couple of times). It's to keep the intensity and the tension up for the viewers. Also to keep them guessing, though I reckon you can guess more or less what happened, that made him the way he is. But it's not as much about that as it is about the journey itself. And the question if there is still time for salvation ... It's a drama and it's slow paced of course, not everyone's cup of tea

A very slow moving picture with a rather predictable story-line. Richard Gere gets to play a quirky eccentric rich man who has his own demons to deal with and tries to make others happy by giving of his money and manipulation. Dakota Fanning is a solid young actor who has a great career ahead of her but needs to steer clear of this type of movie. This did nothing good for her even if all she got was to work with Richard Gere. Theo James is a mostly TV actor who I have never seen before but he carried his weight in this one well and was not overwhelmed by Gere and Fanning.

Gere plays a Howard Hughes, John DuPont type philanthropist, who has more money than earth, and wants to help/meddle with Dakota Fanning's life because he feels responsible for her parents sudden death. Addicted to Hydromorphone, he employs her husband (played by Theo James) at his children's wonder emporium type hospital in order to keep his supply of analgesia full, and to keep his foot in the door. But when people begin to resist, refuse, and deny him what he wants, he becomes more and more desperate. When a person with great power and wealth becomes vulnerable, it becomes quickly apparent to people that they are losing their edge, and the weak spots begin to show. Well in this film, it's really difficult to tell how many weak spots Franny has. His obvious addiction to Morphine is the primary problem, but the film decides that he has more and more problems as the narrative unfolds, and it becomes mind bendingly awkward as to what his motivation is, and why Franny has all these ulterior motives. Is it his guilt? We are treated to several flashbacks and nightmare sequences featuring the accident that becomes his undoing, but in the real time narrative, it's barely mentioned, just knowing looks and 'Hmmm's' from the cast. Gere is wonderful, it's a showcase for him, doing his usual blinky performance. His desperation as Franny is pretty grim, especially one scene were his need for a fix is horrifically apparent. But why does it come as such a shock to everyone that he has this problem? Especially someone who has studied medicine, their addictive qualities, and the dangers of taking strong analgesia........especially when Franny has practically got on his knees, begged for it, and then made out it was a joke.......several times. If it wasn't for Gere's wonderful performance, this would have been just another TV movie of the week, it's clear to see why Fanning isn't as big as she were when she was younger, and James is in danger of being just another pretty boy who got lucky with a franchise. But Franny is such a complex character, he is the glue to the film, and just about holds it together. A word of warning though, there is an extended shaving scene during the end credits, and I was waiting and waiting and waiting.......you never get to see finished product, it surprisingly infuriated me.

This film tells the story of an older man who tries to resolve his guilt from years ago, by being a generous benefactor of a hospital and if a newly wed couple. "The Benefactor" is a touching story that shows a man trouble by his past unintentional deed. He tries to make things up, but unfortunately his good intentions do not always go the intended way. Richard Gere is convincing as a troubled soul who has unlimited resources but still cannot wash away the inner demons. No matter what he does, he is still shown be tormented. It's a heavy story, be prepared for it before you watch it.

The Benefactor is let down by not being sure what type of film it wants to be. Is it a tour de force by Richard Gere, a multi millionaire whose life is falling apart as he is wrapped by guilt as his actions caused the death of his friends in an automobile accident and then consumed by painkiller addiction or a man who seeks to meddle with the offspring of the people who died in the accident. A kind of a sinister Kriss Kringle who has designs on either the now grown up daughter or her surgeon husband. Gere as Franny Watts is convincing as the well to do but disabled rich guy lost in addiction but surely a millionaire who is in need of morphine would be able to get hold of it if he really needed it? Despite an earnest performance by Gere the film just does not know where to go.

The gist of "The Benefactor" is that the main character named "Franny" Watts is independently wealthy and doles out money to his friends with an implicit quid pro quo. The beneficiaries become aware that they are enabling Franny's addiction to painkillers. The principal focus of the narrative is Franny's guilt for an auto accident in which his best friends were killed. Years later, he purchases their home as a gift to their beloved daughter whom Franny calls "Poodles." The film was written a vehicle for Richard Gere in the role of Franny. But all of the character developments are sketchy, as the scenario is built around Gere's emotional outbursts. The thankless role of Poodles is played by Dakota Fanning, who never fully realizes that Franny was responsible for the auto accident that killed her parents when he was smoking marijuana and horsing around in the car. Too much left unanswered in this film. Where did Franny get his money? Why wasn't the auto accident investigated and the lit marijuana cigarette found in the car? How could Poodles allow Franny to purchase the home and pay off her husband's medical school loans without wondering about about his motivation? How could Franny's addiction go undetected for so long? Even die-hard Richard Gere fans will probably find this film perplexing and unconvincing. SPOILER ALERT FOLLOWS: The ending in which Franny's bags are packed and he appears ready for a long trip was the final insult in a film that failed to address the topic raised by the filmmakers about the seriousness of addiction to painkillers.

The Benefactor, Franny Watts, (Richard Gere) meddles in the lives of Olivia (Dakota Fanning) and Luke (Theo James) who are expecting their first baby. Olivia was the daughter of Franny's best friends who were killed in an auto accident. Olivia does not know that Franny caused the accident her parents were in. Franny is hooked on pain killers (from the accident) and needs more meds that he hopes Luke, a doctor, will prescribe for him. Everything about Franny is quid pro quo. Every story has a beginning, a middle and an ending or it should have. Here we are in the middle with flashbacks to the beginning and it stays in the middle . Franny goes out of control as he needs meds no one will give him any more and he needs to go into rehab and he is not willing to do that. We are stuck in this middle as Franny is. Before we learn what was just mentioned above we got the feeling this may be quite an uncomfortable movie with the possibility of Franny making moves on Olivia who is many years his junior. That doesn't happen, but that was our take early on as we were squirming every which way on the couch hoping that didn't happen. We got the feeling that much of the story was not told. Hence we are in the middle of the story with no resolution in sight. All this causes us to wonder why this movie was made in the first place. Of course we can read into the last scene and make up the ending, but would we be right? Hmmmmm The acting all around was good, but it needed a story resolution to make everything complete. (5/10) Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.

Review: Although Richard Gere is superb in this movie, I couldn't really see the point of it. The film kicks off with Franny (Richard Gere) in the car with his two best friends, Mia (Cheryl Hines) and Bobby (Dylan Baker), and while he is hugging Bobby, who is driving, a speeding car hits there car and Franny manages to escape with fatal wounds but he sadly loses his two best friends. After those dramatic scenes, Franny becomes a recluse and ends up addicted to painkillers until he gets a call from Mia & Bobby's pregnant daughter, Olivia (Dakota Fanning) who wants to come home with her boyfriend Luke (Theo James). After buying the couple a house, Franny does everything for the couple, out of guilt, because he feels responsible for the car crash but when he isn't able to get anymore prescriptions for his painkillers, he becomes out of control, and he's unable to hold it together. That part of the storyline is pretty straight forward but it doesn't seem to go anywhere. I thought that Luke treated Franny quite terribly, after everything that he had done for him, and Olivia didn't really interact with Franny, until the end, when he was struggling against his addiction. Anyway, it's a watchable drama with some emotional scenes but the storyline dries up after a while. Round-Up: Richard Gere, 66, isn't one of those actors that takes on any and every project, that is brought to him and I must admit, some of his latest movies haven't been that great but that's not due to his great acting skills. Since his first movie, Operation Undercover in 1975, Gere has only made 50 movies, which have grossed nearly $1.5Billion, with Pretty Woman being his biggest hit with $178.5 million and he has become a household name with his dashing looks and cool demeanour. This movie was directed by Andrew Renzi, 31, who has only made 3 shorts in his career and a movie called Fishtail, which I personally haven't heard of, so he hasn't got that much experience behind the camera. He certainly got the most out of Richard Gere but from an entertainment point of view, it needed some other elements to keep it interesting. Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $2million I recommend this movie to people who are into their dramas starring Richard Gere, Theo James, Dakota Fanning, Cheryl Hines, Clarke Peters and Dylan Baker. 4/10

The Benefactor (2015) is overall just a boring film that has no idea where it's going. Wasting an all star cast, this tedious movie does nothing but put the audience to sleep. It's actually hard to describe the movie, because of how forgettable it truly is. The actors are given nothing interesting to do,so they come off as bored. The script is dull and the directing is mediocre at best. Richard Gere is the only one having a good time. He is truly the only interesting part of the movie. Theo James just plays along as a sidekick of sorts. Dakota Fanning does very little in the movie. Most of the time, she is just pouting while she holds her obviously fake pregnant stomach. I'll forget this movie in a week or so.'The Benefactor' is nothing worthwhile.