Movie rating: 4 and half Star

What Richard Did

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'What Richard Did' is a slow-burning, startling piece of work. Loosely based on Kevin Power's Bad Day In Blackrock, a fictionalised story based on the assault on Brian Murphy outside the Burlington Hotel twelve years ago, What Richard Did might be a shadow of the true story but its origins are inescapable.

"He got up and walked away," is Richard Karlsen's protest. An eighteen-year-old from a privileged area of South Dublin, Richard (Reynor) is his prestigious school's rugby captain. He drives a car. His folks have a holiday home on the beach. None of this he waves in anyone's face, even Conor's (Keeley), a less affluent boy who surreptitiously calls him 'Super Rich'. When Richard sets his sights on Conor's pretty girlfriend, Lara (Murphy), however, he uses all of the above means to woo her. It works but Conor hangs around, making Richard uneasy and insecure.

After too many drinks at a house party, an altercation occurs in the driveway with Richard and his two friends setting on Conor with a kick to the head. It's a scuffle and Conor gets up and staggers off. The next day, however, the news is that a teenager died the night before at a house party and Richard panics. He goes about his friends to get their story straight...

This terrific drama heralds Lenny Abrahamson as a major director. In similar style to his previous two features Adam & Paul, Garage, and the TV series Prosperity, Abrahamson (for the first time working without writer Mark O'Halloran) is not concerned with flashy shots; this is a director who is only interested in character and plot. The story likes to exist in the cracks, what most movies would deem downtime, which gives each scene a natural feel, allowing the actors room to be the characters, and all concerned deliver. Jack Reynor is so good it's chilly but he's not on his own: Roisin Murphy, Sam Keeley, Fionn Walton and Gavin Drea are ones for the future.

All eyes were on Abrahamson and how, working from Malcolm Campbell's (Shameless) script, he would deal with the difficult issue of the resulting court case, which the public largely felt cemented the theory that the rich take care of their own. Abrahamson's tactic defines the film and while it can't be discussed here for spoiler reasons what can be said is that it doesn't shake its head in a Larry Clark/Rivers Edge judgement. We, via Abrahamson, are merely observers - the judging and debating will come post credits and for years to come.

Review by Gavin Burke | 17:31 | Friday 5th October 2012 | Movie Review

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Comments

• DoubleLetter

  So this is a fictionalised story of a true event? How does that work!?

  Posted 09:59 | Wed 3rd Oct 2012

• Bryce

  A good story that's not quite exciting enough in its own right - so they added loads of extra untrue bits to make it better!

  Posted 11:00 | Wed 3rd Oct 2012

• DoubleLetter

  ^ Haha. So from now on, when some-one says "That would make a great movie" they can also say "That would make a terrible movie, but if we add robots, it will be a hit !"

  Posted 17:01 | Wed 3rd Oct 2012

• LM94

  Jack reynor is a fantastic actor, he thought me a few months back and he was a great teacher.

  Posted 22:23 | Thu 4th Oct 2012

• Tom

  Can't wait to see this, Lenny Abrahamson can do no wrong in my book.

  Posted 13:05 | Fri 5th Oct 2012

• FilmBuff76

  A little over-hyped by Irish critics, but What Richard Did is a fine film.

  Posted 14:31 | Sat 6th Oct 2012

• Muller

  Plan to go and see tonight ....would u recommend......

  Posted 14:19 | Mon 8th Oct 2012

• ABC1

  I want to take my boys to see this - they're aged 16, 14 and 10. Is it suitable (especially not sure about the 10 year old)?

  Posted 18:58 | Fri 12th Oct 2012

• FilmBuff76

  What Richard Did is a 15A, so you can take them if you want. I saw just a few older teenagers at the screening I was at - probably too slow-moving for younger teenagers. There's nothing too risky in the film - some swearing and violence. Older teenagers might appreciate it.

  Posted 12:25 | Sat 13th Oct 2012

• Fitz

  I definitely wouldn't bring a ten year old.

  Posted 11:59 | Tue 16th Oct 2012

• CicCass

  Brilliant!! Portrays modern Dublin perfectly, GO SEE IT!

  Posted 13:35 | Sat 20th Oct 2012

• Rainbow

  There is no such thing a "privileged area" - just "privileged families". Stop pandering to the Ross O'Carroll Kelly style stereotypes. There are poor, working class, council housing estates in the so called posh Blackrock too.

  Posted 13:27 | Sun 28th Oct 2012

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