The Benefactor (2015)

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

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.

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 he 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 with raising some basic questions 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.

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: $2millionI 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

This is a drama about a rich eccentric man in his 60s who suffered a traumatic event and became addicted to substances. Feeling guilt he tries to make amends but in his terms baring gifts which are not acceptable by the persons receiving them.Richard Gere gives a solid performance but nevertheless this is a "little" movie with not much to offer.Everything moves slow and the whole premise is quite simple, so no one can really recommend this movie as a quality spectacle. The low budget is evident through out the movie and some obvious plot holes are quickly swept under the rug.Overall: Nowadays TV series got more complicated and interesting while low budget movies carry simple plots without such interest to justify 95 minutes of your time. If you are a fan of R.G. go and see the latest movie of your favorite actor. Otherwise...