What Richard Did

Lenny Abrahamson is known for mastering the independent classic, Adam and Paul (2005). He looks to grab your attention to a different topic, one that we know all too well. The concept is one of considerable debate as we follow Richard (Jack Reynor) and his "Molly coddled" lifestyle made up of happy families, true friendship and desperate love.

Richard lives a charming life with wealthy backgrounds; he spends his summer days with a group of friends having the "craic" in the family beach home. With his charming personality he sets his sights on Laura (Roisin Murphy) who to his unfortunate circumstance is partly tied up with Connor (Sam Keeley).

The calm before the storm is numerous images and silent embarks of Richard reminiscing at his beach home, driving his car, eating cereal and smoking silently as Richard stares into oblivion in almost every shot. It all got so boring first off I began to believe all of these activities are what Richard actually did, but no. Richard starts to believe in his charm after numerous dates and gossip has gotten him closer to Laura, however the dramatic portrayal of the movie finally kicks in when an argument outside a party involves himself and Connor, leaving Connor well, ultimately dead.

The suspense and the dramatic follow up is what makes the first half feel terrible to the second half, and unfortunately it is. We see the acting skills from numerous actors including Jack Reynor and his father Peter (Lars Mikkelsen), who both create probably the only seen worth remembering.

The problem with this film is not the acting, but the plot was so weak, and ran at such a slow pace. Maybe it was my own fault for building my hype for, well, such a hyped film. A movie that was quite short in 87 minutes and did not have enough input to develop any characters resulting in a lack of emotion for such a serious concept.

Lenny's latest flick touches off a very important subject, just like he did with Adam and Paul, but besides from the incident that took so long to get to, a message that was supposed to be sent out kind of went in no direction. However he hit the nail on the head with creating a stereotype within Richard and his friends; Slightly posh rugby heads who drive daddy's car and wear tight T shirts with grey tracksuit bottoms. As he created that stereotypical ego of Richard, a harsh reality surrounds him as he, just like any real human being would, comes crashing down to earth after realising the reality and possible consequences surrounding his stupidity.

Overall; beautifully shot no doubt, but really slow on developing a lack of emotion and dull scenes of practically nothing. However Jack Reynor gives a performance that does convince you of an enjoyable portrayal of character, but not the film.

4/10