Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

kosmasp 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

Allguns Allguns He would be Francis Watt! (Ok, and we wouldn't have one of the finest TV-Shows of recent television)One thing is for sure about The Benefactor. Richard Gere brought the thunder with his performance and pretty much took the whole movie by his own. Then there was Theo James and he did well, I think. I mean... He's the guy from the last Underworld and the Divergent Series... How much can you ask?Of course that is not fair with the guy, he's a professional actor and he can deliver good performances. In the case of The Benefactor, there was not much to do with it. Even Dakota Fanning, one of the most brilliant actress of her generation, didn't have much to do or say... AND THAT SUCKS, 'CAUSE SHE CAN DO MORE!!! C'mon Hollywood, can't you give her good parts for Christ's sake? Does she charges for line delivered?I think... That's all to say that there's not much to say about the acting or the cast, besides Gere. Well, and there was the resemblance between Bobby (Dylan Baker) and Luke (James). Not much as twins, but enough to make clear that Puddles (Fanning) had serious Freudians issues!The Benefactor is the fiction feature debut to the writer and director Andrew Renzi, and I'll say that I liked and I'll wait to see more of that young filmmaker. The work in the directing wasn't anything mind-blowing but didn't let down.The writing... Well, the writing is far from brilliant. Actually, is very flawed. None of the characters is somebody, not even Franny, they all are a mosaic of characteristics. They have no story, no ego. And that's pretty much the reason the acting from the supporting cast is "meh". But the dialog saves it from being a total flop. The dialog is the thing that makes possible Gere's outstanding performance. Imagine the dialog full of exposition, not even Gere suffering the effects of abstinence in silence would make it better.The third act also had a problem. Everything happened so fast. There was no development to all of that and the conclusion lacks credibility for osmosis. Ten or twenty minutes more in the final cut could make all the difference. Turn the silly ending in something really emotional and believable.Nothing else to be said, just enjoy the movie. It isn't a top-shelf but it works for a simple dose of entertainment.

Tony Heck "I'm not gonna try and relate to you, because I can't alright. I don't think anyone can, but you need help." Franny (Gere) is a philanthropist who spends his days with his best friend and his wife. Everything is going great until an accident changes everything. Now, addicted to pain killers and trying to hide it Franny begins to spend more and more time with his old friend's newly married daughter and her husband (James). The more Franny tries to help the more they want him to leave them alone. In my review for Time Out Of Mind I stated that I never thought Richard Gere was all that good of an actor until that movie. This movie he takes another step forward and he is even better in this one. He plays the character on the edge of likable and creepy, moving flawlessly between both and really making you feel sorry for him and concerned about the others at the same time. That is a hard thing to portray. Overall, the movie itself isn't bad I I did like it, but the reason to watch is for Richard Gere's performance (I never thought I would say that). I give this a B.

subxerogravity Richard Gere plays a semi Howard Hughes type character who looses his two best friends in a car accident, and now feels obligated, because he's slightly responsible for the accident, to take care of their adult daughter, who really does not need his help.Though this is the main plot of the flick, the best part is watching Gere deal with an addiction to morphine he develop. The film is most just Gere trying to self medicate the physical pain in hopes that it will also take away the emotional one.It was also fun to see him attempt to turn Olivia, played by Dakota Fanning, and her new husband into the friends he lost long ago.But overall, this movie could have been put together far better. It's not solid enough to contain Gere's decent performance. It also could have benefited from using Dakota Fanning more, or giving Theo James, as Olivia's husband, more to do than set up lines for Gere.It's very mundane and leaves you with nothing.