Prismark10 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.

phd_travel A wealthy man who kind of caused the death of his dear friends tries to make up for it by being generous to their orphaned daughter and her husband.The young couple come across as ungrateful brats - what's wrong with a wealthy close family friend wanting to help you out? Dakota Fanning looks prettier and less odd than before. Theo James doesn't look like a doctor at all.Richard Gere tries to stretch his range as a dramatic actor but he is unconvincing. Even in the meltdown melodramatic parts he isn't believable. He just should dye his hair and do romantic comedies and dramadies for older people.Not a must see but if you have some time to spare or were stuck on a plane like me it's just an okay watch.

Peter Pluymers "Did you buy my house ? I bought it for the three of you. Welcome."I've never been a big fan of Richard Gere. I always associate him with ordinary films of the genre drama and comedy, with a lick of romance. Gere is also perfect for such films. A charismatic person with the right looks. Worthy son-in-law material and someone who made many women's hearts beat faster in those days. Since "Pretty Woman", a film with Gere was for me a film to avoid. Although I surely want to give "The Mothman Prophecies" a chance. And despite his old age, this 67 year-old former gigolo still looks surprisingly frivolous and attractive. Perhaps now you should look for his admirers among the over-60s.I came across "The benefactor" by chance and it didn't look like a romantic comedy to me. Well, it's far from being comical. It shows the agony of the eccentric philanthropist Franny who's suffering from remorse and regret. A guilt this millionaire carries from the time that he's involved in a car accident along with a befriended couple Bobby (Dylan Baker) and Mia (Cheryl Hines). Whether he's the cause or not is not really clear. Daughter Olivia (Dakota Fanning), with whom the bachelor Franny has a good bond, turns his back on him.Five years later, the charming, "dashing through life" multimillionaire who realized energetic plans, has changed into an introverted hermit who spends his days making morphine cocktails. A haggard loner with an appearance of Gandalf the White. A neglected Santa Claus with a thick beard and a wild hairdo. A caveman living in his luxurious cave. And then Olivia returns. Contacting him with the message that she'll be returning as a newly wed, pregnant woman. Franny gets his act together and from that moment on he only has one plan. And that plan is to make this couple's life as easy as possible and support them with his fortune.To be honest, I think the acting performance of Richard Gere in this film was sublime. An overwhelming, charismatic character who demands all the attention during the whole movie. In such a fantastic way that the parts of Dakota Fanning and Theo James, the husband of Olivia, almost completely fade into the background. Gere shows a character that sways from one mood into another. From a flamboyant, enthusiastic founder of a children's hospital to a pitiful heap of misery. And then resurrecting again as a benefactor. Enthusiastically but with a tormented mind. At times I couldn't believe this was really Richard Gere. Fanning's character was reduced to a piece of scenery that served as the initiator of Franny's behavior. The same applies to Theo James. Although he also pleasantly surprised me.The acting looks respectable. What about the story itself? Well, that's something else. First, it is terribly boring and dead simple. The whole story (not the psychological situation) can easily be summarized in a few concise sentences. In other words, nothing much happens. What story were they actually trying to tell? The tragedy of lost friends and a painful rehabilitation? A demonstration of excessive generosity and intrusiveness? The physical and mental deterioration because of an addiction? All of that was in it, but the character study dominated. Also certain questions remained unanswered. Was it really Franny's fault? Where did his fortune come from? And isn't it so that rich people can buy whatever they want? What I do know is that I'll give 'Time out of mind "a chance. More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT

paulrainwater Richard Gere's character is a neurotic, drug addicted, lonely, filthy rich, self indulgent old fart manic dick. I suffered through an hour of this snooze fest waiting for something, anything to happen before finally giving up. At first I thought it looked interesting and was trying to get into it, the opening scenes got me interested, but I kept waiting for something of substance to develop, but it got more silly as the movie went on. Why was this movie even made, just to show that Richard Gere can still act? What a waste of time. The opening scenes with flash backs kept me going, but I just could no longer take watching the Richard Gere character being so pathetic. This film is really disappointing and could have had some potential with a different script, maybe they should have invited Julia Roberts to co star and made it into a romantic comedy.