FRANNY (2015)

Genre: Drama
Director: Andrew Renzi
Cast: Richard Gere, Dakota Fanning, Theo James, Clarke Peters, Maria Breyman
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Some Drug Use and Coarse Language)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website:

Opening Day: 14 January 2016

Synopsis: In Franny, an iconoclastic philanthropist survives a devastating accident that kills his two best friends, but four years later, he is still struggling with the guilt and pain. When his late friends’ daughter Olivia resurfaces with a new husband and a baby on the way, Franny tries to overcome his emotional and physical suffering by inserting himself into their lives. Outrageously charming and limitlessly infuriating, Franny hands his young friends undreamt-of opportunities while attempting to micromanage their lives in ever more intrusive ways.

Movie Review:

Before the world was blessed with Channing Tatum and Ryan Gosling, charming men came in the form of actors like Richard Gere. In 1990, the Philadelphia-born actor starred in Garry Marshall’s Pretty Woman opposite Julia Roberts as a wealthy businessman who hires a down and out hooker to be an escort for his business and social functions. The performance made countless female viewers dream about living the love story the two protagonists of the romantic comedy enjoyed in the commercially successful movie.

Fast forward some 25 years later, can Gere still command screen presence like before? You bet.

In his latest work, the Golden Globe winning actor (Chicago) plays the titular Franny, a billionaire suffering addictions not just to morphine but to others' attention and his own privilege. How so? We first see Franny as a philanthropist all set to do good by building a hospital. He then survives a car accident which killed his two best friends. When his deceased friend’s daughter returns to his life with a husband in tow, the disheveled man comes to his senses to feel alive again, so much to the extent that the couple feels increasingly uncomfortable. Is there an ulterior motive behind this ridiculously generous man? Is there an untold tragedy behind that magnanimous personality?

In director Andrew Renzi’s film, viewers are brought along for an emotional ride – you feel sympathy for Franny at first, seeing how the man is in desperate need of human connection; then you begin to wonder whether his destructive behaviour should be tolerated, as you see him abusing drugs and his riches to feel alive again; and ultimately you feel his helplessness, as you find yourself wanting to stretch out your hand to give Franny a assuring pat on his back.

This is where Gere succeeds in capturing the viewers’ attention throughout the film’s 93 minute runtime. His portrayal of a man seemingly headed towards self destruction is an affectionately compelling one. One moment you see him showering care to a frightened child in his hospital, then you see him buying love with his fortune through irrational decisions, before you see him turning to drugs for comfort and solace. Coupled with the 66 year old actor’s good looks, you believe that there is a Franny out there you want to know, and this someone whom you want to help.

Gere’s co stars Dakota Fanning (The Runaways, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2) and Theo James (You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, The Divergent Series: Insurgent) play the couple whose lives are changed by Franny’s generosity. Though they pull off okay performances, they evidently do not shine as much as the veteran actor.    

You may be unsure where the film is headed, with its unpredictable pacing chronicling Franny’s ups and downs. You can’t put a finger to whether the film is a thriller (the accident sequence makes the movie feel like one) or a human drama. You don’t know whether to expect a twist as Franny continues his way to a seemingly oncoming collapse. This is where the film works – as a gentle reminder that life moves in an unpredictable manner as we grapple with our senses to stay sane in this increasingly insane world.

Movie Rating:

(Richard Gere is in top form as a man who is in desperate need of human connection in this moving drama)

Review by John Li