Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? If you’re a Richard Gere fan.
Should you watch this for free? OK.
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 92 minutes (~1.5 hours)
“Franny,” also known as “The Benefactor” in other countries, is a drama about a rich old philanthrophist who barges his way into a young couple’s life. The couple soon learn that the geriatric tycoon is a lot more trouble than he’s worth. It stars Richard Gere (Franny), Dakota Fanning (Olivia), and Theo James (Luke). It is rated NC-16.
“Franny” attempts to tell a tale of a man seeking redemption for something that he feels guilty about. The problem is, as one of the characters so eloquently puts it to him, that it’s difficult to empathise when “you don’t have real problems.” He’s supposed to come across as a sad, lonely old man who wants nothing more than happiness, but it seems more like he’s suffering from ennui due to his enormous wealth, and has no better way to squander his fortune than by harassing young women and emasculating young men.
Highlights
Theo James gives a surprisingly good performance as Luke
Luke comes across as a young man who’s on the cusp of achieving greatness, if not for what life has saddled him with beforehand. He wants to make his mark on the world, which makes him all the more sympathetic when Franny barges in and gives him a clean slate. He balances the pride of a young man with the humility of a good person, allowing us to relate to his struggles as he realises that Franny (supposedly) means well, even if those good intentions result in Luke eating humble pie. Even when he does stand up for himself, you don’t sense a tinge of arrogance in him.
Letdowns
Franny is unsympathetic and manipulative
Franny is one of the most loathsome old men you’ve ever met. Under his veneer of goodwill is a manipulative, selfish creature who has wealth but not fulfillment. His smug demeanour when waltzing in to “solve” Luke and Olivia’s problems is thoroughly irksome, especially since you know he’s just lording his wealth over those who don’t have it. He has what could charitably be called a sad backstory, but that doesn’t justify his actions in the present day. In a twisted way, it’s almost as if his behaviour today warrants the punishment he had in the flashbacks. That’s how frustrating he is.
Dakota Fanning is underused as Olivia
Despite having a closer connection to Franny than Luke does (story-wise), you don’t see much of Olivia. The story focuses more on the relationship between Luke and Franny, which is strange, since you’d think that Franny would want to communicate more with Olivia. As a result, the climatic scenes between Franny and Olivia don’t have much resonance, since there hasn’t been sufficient build-up to give you a emotional connection between the two.
Slow pacing
The story takes its time to make sure you get every story beat put into it, flogging each plot point like a dead horse. It drags down the pacing, especially since you know what the scene is supposed to establish within the first few seconds. If the characters were more interesting or the interactions more intriguing then the pacing could be forgivable — but it isn’t.
Trite resolution
The climax consists of two people shouting at each other about their problems and one admitting that his “problems are petty” while the other screams that he “need(s) to grow up.” And then with a magical event that plays out in the most cliched of circumstances, the entire story is resolved with a happy smile. Seemingly life-threatening ailments are cured with a psychological flourish, and ridiculous criminal acts are forgiven in a blink. It’s stunningly clumsy. There’s a confrontation, but no true resolution.
“Franny” tries to tell a tale of a man righting the wrongs of his past, but ends up giving you an old man hobbling around sticking his nose in where it’s not wanted.
“Franny” opens in cinemas 14 January, 2015 (Thursday).
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