It is always refreshing when a new storyteller is on the rise in Hollywood. The Benefactor comes as a feature-length directorial debut by newcomer writer/director Andrew Renzi. Well received by film festivals and critics alike, The Benefactor is a suspenseful and intriguing character study of a charming yet overbearing philanthropist who meddles in the lives of a newly married couple in an attempt to relive his past.
The film opens with Franny (Richard Gere) discussing design plans for a children’s hospital project on which he is collaborating with his married college friends Mia and Bobby (Cheryl Hines, Dylan Baker). Unfortunately, Franny’s horsing around while driving (with his previously mentioned friends) leads to a fatal car accident.
Five years later, we see Franny sitting alone in a lavish hotel surrounded by bottles of medication and sporting a cane along with an appearance resembling an elderly Howard Hughes. Out of the blue, he receives a call from his late best friends’ daughter, Olivia (Dakota Fanning), whom he lovingly calls “Poodles”. She is pregnant and newly married to Luke (Theo James) a young, handsome doctor who is in need of employment. Franny is revitalized and beyond excited to help out in any way he can.
Without prompting, in addition to securing Luke a job at the children’s hospital he supports, Franny showers the young couple with lavish gifts. Olivia and James quickly learn that all of the expensive gestures come with a price. Franny shows little regard for personal boundaries; the red flags surrounding his shifting intentions begin to alarm Luke.
It becomes more and more clear that Franny is addicted to morphine, which he uses to medicate not only his pain but also his guilty conscience. We watch his descent from charming philanthropist to an erratic and desperate addict.
The film creates an uncomfortable level of tension for the viewer. Along with the rising suspense, The Benefactor almost takes on the direction of a psychological thriller before pulling back in the last scenes- perhaps in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience.
Writer/director Andrew Renzi loosely based the character of Franny on the famed Philadelphia philanthropist, John Dupont, who we all know from Bennett Miller’s 2014 critically-acclaimed film Foxcatcher. However in this film, Renzi offers little to no history of Franny- the origins of his wealth remain a mystery. On a similar note, Olivia’s character could have been more fleshed out and interesting if given a backstory. If expanded upon, she could have reflected an opposing extreme to Franny’s approach to coping with the loss of her parents. In comparison to Franny’s isolation and self-destruction, Olivia’s reaction to the sudden tragedy is bottled up emotion paired with a cold exterior. She attempts to fill the void by rushing to adulthood, creating her own family and a sense of stability. It is all there, but would be more compelling if explored further.
The Benefactor premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last April and has been gaining momentum ever since, going on to win “Best U.S. Narrative Feature Film” at the Catalina Film Festival in 2015. The film proves to be an entertaining and suspenseful watch with engaging performances by the all-star cast, and Renzi is a promising director worth remembering. As he grows and develops as a director, I look forward to what the future has in store for this talented filmmaker.
The Benefactor is out in theatres January 15, 2016. Unrated.
