The Benefactor

Name: The Benefactor
Genre: Drama
Released: January 15, 2016
Duration: 93 min
Rating: 40
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Richard Gere, Theo James

2016

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Ratings

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5.1	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Ratings

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The Benefactor

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Movie Details & Credits

Samuel Goldwyn Films | Release Date: January 15, 2016 | Not Rated

Starring: Dakota Fanning, Richard Gere, Theo James

Summary: A newly married couple (Dakota Fanning and Theo James) are forced to navigate the all-consuming interest of a powerful, mysterious, and possessive philanthropist (Richard Gere).

Director: Andrew Renzi

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 93 min

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Critic Reviews

Ben Kenigsberg

May 5, 2015

The movie ends in a more conventional place than the one where it begins, yet it still marks a surprising and graceful first fiction feature for writer-director Andrew Renzi. Read full review

David D'Arcy

Nov 22, 2015

The actor’s comic sad clown performance lifts the film above an ordinary script. Read full review

Richard Roeper

Jan 14, 2016

More times than not, The Benefactor takes the less interesting fork in the road. Read full review

Chris Nashawaty

Jan 20, 2016

Gere, an actor capable of great nuance, hams it up so mightily you’d think the film was sponsored by Boar’s Head. Read full review

Sheri Linden

Jan 14, 2016

What begins as an intriguing psychological thriller devolves into an addiction drama, growing less interesting as it proceeds and giving costars Dakota Fanning and Theo James little to do. Read full review

Stephen Whitty

Jan 13, 2016

Old silver-fox Gere looks great. He’s almost embarrassingly charming — which is the point — but there’s not much else here. Read full review

Christopher Gray

Jan 10, 2016

Writer-director Andrew Renzi treats unfettered wealth as a hyperbolic playground through which to explore masculine insecurity. Read full review

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User Reviews

LogenNine

Jan 21, 2016

For all anyone knows, this movie could be absolutely outstanding, it just hasn't had a huge Disney marketing blitz and therefore is not 'good'.
Professional movie criticism is dead after the debacle that is Star Wars: The Force Awakens. What is it about this movie that professional studioFor all anyone knows, this movie could be absolutely outstanding, it just hasn't had a huge Disney marketing blitz and therefore is not 'good'.
Professional movie criticism is dead after the debacle that is Star Wars: The Force Awakens. What is it about this movie that professional studio shills and spruikers don't like? It's not an unadvertised shoddy remake of a movie made decades ago? Professional Film Critics are laughable joke, totally lacking in integrity.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

LeZee

Apr 24, 2016

One man show...

I don't think the movie is worth a watch. There's nothing in it apart from Richard Gere's fine performance. If you still want to try it, he is the only reason to consider. You know performances alone can't save the movie, especially that theory did not work in this film.One man show...

I don't think the movie is worth a watch. There's nothing in it apart from Richard Gere's fine performance. If you still want to try it, he is the only reason to consider. You know performances alone can't save the movie, especially that theory did not work in this film. The story was very plain, it was about a man who's living with remorse and suddenly an unexpected thing happens that could help him to come out of his guilt fell, but it only gets worse in his every attempt.

The contribution from the rest of the cast was one of two reasons for the movie's downfall. They were okay, no complaint about that, but they were totally not visible like their existence means nothing other than to support the Gere's role. And the other reason was the scenes that lacked to imprint in the viewer's head with memorable quotes and/or moments. I would say there's a dull atmosphere in the entire narration. It is not an entertainer, but can be a character study material.

5½/10… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

NickLikesMovies

Mar 3, 2016

"The Benefactor" has a plot that is hard to ever truly understand, especially when practically nothing happens during the runtime of the film. Richard Gere stars in the overwhelmingly flat film, and his performance is very bad. He is way over-the-top while being void of any emotion at the"The Benefactor" has a plot that is hard to ever truly understand, especially when practically nothing happens during the runtime of the film. Richard Gere stars in the overwhelmingly flat film, and his performance is very bad. He is way over-the-top while being void of any emotion at the same time. He feels so out of place that he makes the whole film feel uncomfortable and awkward. Theo James is actually good here, not great but not bad like he is in the Divergent series. Dakota Fanning also stars but has literally nothing to do other than be pregnant. A huge problem in the film is that the audience is never informed about what Gere and Fanning's relationship is, why he cares so much for her, or how he was related to her parents to begin with. It's a glaring issue in a film jam packed with problems.

All in all, The Benefactor is an uneventful slog of a film with terrible writing and a grating performance from its lead actor.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

EpicLadySponge

Mar 10, 2016

The Benefactor's true inspiring events may flick people out, but the Benefactor has a load to try harder with a whole load of supplies for a remake of this movie... not a sequel. A remake.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

poetreviewer

Jan 22, 2016

Don't waste your money on this movie. It's awful. It has no clear direction and ends in an pat manner that make absolutely zero sense. Within the context of this movie is a concept that "could have" gone somewhere. Gere plays a wealthy man grieving from trauma and losses that occurred inDon't waste your money on this movie. It's awful. It has no clear direction and ends in an pat manner that make absolutely zero sense. Within the context of this movie is a concept that "could have" gone somewhere. Gere plays a wealthy man grieving from trauma and losses that occurred in an automobile accident. Apparently his character became addicted to morphine when he was recovering from the serious injuries he sustained in the accident. The movie touches on how doctors get patients addicted to medicines. This seems like a theme, but then goes nowhere. And in the end, after almost slitting his wrists, all is fine because a baby is born. Gere cuts off his beard, The End. Huh? What happened to the morphine addiction?… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

jlittle1404

Apr 10, 2016

Reading the plot summary at redbox was more exciting than the actual movie. The story doesn't go anywhere with no point. Don't waste your time watching this one, your not missing anything.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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