Richard Karlsen, a privileged 18 year old, has everything a young man could ask for. Living in South Dublin at his parents beach-side house, Richard is enjoying his last summer with his friends before heading to the University in the fall. A golden-boy type figure, Richard is certainly the alpha-male of his friends and they intend on spending the summer to the fullest. All this changes over one summer night when Richard does something that could change his life forever, shattering his own life and the people's lives around them. Lenny Abrahmason's What Richard Did is a devastating and emotionally exhaustive portrait about a boy who must face the reality that his life is never going to be what we expected. What Richard Did is a pensive film which really wants to get into the headspace of its protagonist, attempting to understand the regret, sadness, and life-crushing consequence of a young man who accidentially murdered another young man in a drunken brawl. The reserved quality of What Richard Did is probably its most endearing strength, capturing how even a relatively common act can instantly change everything. The actual fight which leaves Conner murdered is shown in a very reserved, quiet way, highlighting how something so sudden and seemingly trivial can alter an entire life. This isn't a film with lofty intentions, but rather a film that successfully captures Richard's every layer from scared child to suave ladies man. In a society that depicts acts of violence such as fights in such a nonchalant way, Lenny Abrahamson's What Richard Did is a devastating reminder of how quickly something as common as a love-triangle quarrel can alter one's plans. 7.25/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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