What Richard Did

WHAT RICHARD DID

Director : Lenny Abrahamson

Year : 2013

Genre : Drama

Rating : ****

Over the past decade, Irish director Lenny Abrahamson has made something of a name for himself as a reliable and promising director. From his feature debut, the hilarious but tragic 'Adam and Paul' to 'Garage', a touching tale of self awareness and trust, Abrahamson has proved that he can create genuine works of great joy, thought and empathy. However, he has outdone himself with his latest motion picture, the brilliant 'What Richard Did'. Based on the fictionalised account of a brutal assault in Dublin, the film manages to balance carefully between the realms of drama and thriller and with perfectly pitched performances and a bleak and sombre tone, 'What Richard Did' is one of the best films of the year.

The film follows Richard, a popular and influential teenager who is adored by the girls and admired by the guys. Alpha male of a large group of wealthy adolescents, Richard is a happy, joyful and caring boy who fiercely protects his friends. However after a drunken party one night, he viciously assaults a love rival who later dies of his injuries and the rest of the movie shows how the death destroys Richard's life as well as the lives of those around him.

With a thoughtful and truthful script, Abrahamson is able to make the characters in 'What Richard Did' completely believable. Filming in a variety of settings and times of day, he allows us to interact with the large group of teenagers and become enveloped in their world. Usually when it comes to bringing the world of the young adult to the screen, filmmakers are too fond of putting witty one liners and cocky, smart alecky dialogue into the mouths of it's cast and as result  create completely false and unbelievable characters. However the script of 'What Richard Did' is very well written and the acting is so naturalistic that it almost feels like Abrahamson just hid in a nearby bush and filmed a group of really interesting and realistic teenagers.

At the heart of 'What Richard Did' is an astonishing performance by Irish actor Jack Reynor who has already made a name for himself in the TV movie world. This film is his feature debut and it is a powerfully brilliant one and sure to bring the actor bigger and more mainstream parts in the future. It is clear that the accidental death of his friend is crushing Richard mentally and physically and the way in which Reynor portrays the guilt, sadness and remorse in his character is heartbreakingly powerful. There is a moment in the movie where the full impact of what has happened completely overwhelms Richard and the way in which Reynor shows how a teenager would deal with this unbelievable tragedy and guilt is completely true and realistic. Many young people will aspire to be Richard; the handsome, brave and funny boy who is loved by all and seeing this characterisation completely flipped on it's head to show a fragile and deeply emotional person who has the same fears, worries and nuances as every other teenager on the planet is an eye opening and rather upsetting look at the truth of life. Reynor is a true talent to watch out for (despite his upcoming appearance in 'Transformers 4') and I am sure it will not be too long before the entire world knows his name. I just hope for the better.

While not a huge commercial success, 'What Richard Did' stormed the Irish film awards, winning 5 including  Best Picture and even won the Golden tulip award at the Istanbul film festival. And for very good reason.The film is a complex, engulfing and highly intelligent drama that chronicles a boys transition from adolescence to adulthood through a brutal and tragic accident. Comparable to the more calm works of Michael Haneke or even Tomas Alfredson, 'What Richard Did' is a captivating study in human nature, self respect and remorse.