Richard seems to have everything with a beautiful lover, many good friends and graduates from a famous high school. Unfortunately, the life of him changes absolutely after a drunken brawl which leads him to terrible consequences.
Mr. Reynor's portrayal of this man-child is an extraordinary screen performance in which his face registers all the conflicting emotions gripping Richard. We see every layer of him, from the scared inner child to the suave, entitled ladies' man.
The Skinny
January 17, 2013
With brilliant economy Abrahamson implies that in the case of his nation, as with his film's protagonist, all that glitters is not gold.
Newcomer Jack Reynor gives a startling, star-making performance in the slow-burn Irish drama What Richard Did... Consider this indie his Queens Boulevard, if you will.
Abrahamson's penetrating film asks - and does not answer - whether one viciously criminal moment is an aberration, or whether it reveals the weak, shabby person who was there all along.
The film's structure as a character study helps to subtly underscore the flawed justifications of a privileged kid's thought patterns and unchallenged value system.
Not only is this Irish drama sharply well written and directed, but it also features a jaw-dropping breakout performance by young Irish actorJack Reynor.
Isn't shocking in obvious ways, preferring to stun the audience with an authentic atmosphere of guilt and indecision, investing in the frustration of delayed response over unapologetic manipulation.
