thealefmagnus Hailed as the most important Irish film of the century, I had high expectations before seeing this flick. I knew nothing of the plot except from the title. This Richard guy did something and I aim to find out what it is.First, who is Richard? Richard Karlsen is the town's golden-boy rugby player. Charismatic, friendly, and at the top of his game, Richard is on his way to success as most people would assume once he leaves highschool for university. It was a typical summertime transition for the seniors and Richard is making sure he is having the time of his life. Coming from an upper middle class family, Richard is not at all what you expect from kids having lived under this environment. He wasn't stereotypically the spoiled kid living off of his parent's beach house. Although he is fun loving just like most people his age, he wasn't portrayed as the evil rich dude of the story. In fact, he's just another regular kid of the block who'll soon leave for university. All is going well one summer until this mistake.So, what did Richard do? As the screenplay is loosely based on the novel Bad Day in Black Rock, the story revolves around an assault that led to the death of a teen. The first half of the film shows Richard and his friends simply hanging out and meeting new people. At this point, Richard meets Lara who is still involved with her ex Connor. While Richard successfully charms Lara into a relationship, it is still evident how she maintains close contact with her ex. This spells trouble as our lead slowly shows us his insecurity and jealousy despite having his social status. During a drunken brawl, the unexpected happened and now Richard has to face this sudden flip in his life.The film portrays how an incidence of uncontrolled anger suddenly changes you into a person you never thought you would be and its repercussions. While it was an accident, Richard knows for himself that he is the cause and now he has to face life with guilt. The second half of the film shows how the simple incident has changed the lives of all the characters in the community. It also puts focus on how the lead copes with this event.So, how did what Richard do affect people's lives? While the event brought out the worst in him, it certainly brought more pain on people around him.The best thing I loved about the treatment of the flick is the use of silence. It gave way for the actors to express their emotions through actions and subtle changes in their gestures. This is where Jack Reynor excelled in. While many may complain about how the story never got the resolution most people would expect from it, it shows how the experience changed Richard's life. And I think, that's enough to show how we do not really live in a just world. Great work from director Lenny Abrahamson in using tight shots to focus on the character's emotions.What Richard Did is an exploration of character enclosed within a tight knit community and a look into how a single mistake can change our lives forever.writelikesundance.wordpress.com

aequus314 The calm, composed quality about Malcolm Campbell's screenplay, is that it casts no immediate judgment on something committed by Richard Karlsen. Ambiguous film title is succinct, yet enough because it raises three simple questions, each substantially more important than the other as the plot unfolds and your curiosity piques — who is Richard, what exactly did he do and why did he do it.Jack Reynor is lead character in this loose adaptation of a novel by Kevin Powell, Bad Day in Blackrock. Meet Richard, epitome of born winners in post-Tiger Dublin. Privileged millennial soaking in the comforts of upper-middle class. Pre-university, popular but somewhat elusive, likable, virile star captain of the rugby team. Alpha male among a pack of young Irish blood just like himself. They are well- heeled teenagers with bright yuppie lives ahead of them, and this summer, Richard spends it like any teenager would: attending parties and keeping his boys out of trouble.So early on and yet, Richard lives a rewarding life full of promises. The turning point being that one day, Lara (Roisin Murphy) finally meets his gaze of male desire. Both are visibly entranced and reasonably soon, they get together. Life tastes sweeter when you're a handsome couple but something happens one night, and it alarms Richard. He considers the gravity of this transgression with as much clarity as he could.In this sophisticated post-genre directed by Lenny Abrahamson, a critical yet low-key scene between Richard and his father (Lars Mikkelsen, elder brother of Mads) suggests the rational imminent and unavoidable. From time to time, we observe Richard's rage and self- reproach, before finally considering his vulnerability as a by-product of larger socio-economic forces. I've heard negative feedback deploring What Richard Did for a lack of closure or resolution but more to the point, what would I have done? An intelligent, troubling litmus test for Kantians.cinemainterruptus.wordpress.com

David O'Brien This is as slow moving and as unsatisfying as "Garage", the other Lenny Abrahamson film I have had the misfortune to see. The problem with his films is that there are long scenes with no dialogue, and the story barely moves along. Even the incident which changes the lives of the characters is very slight, when it happens. There has been a lot of praise given for Jack Reynor's performance. I didn't think much of it. He didn't come across that convincingly. He had a breakdown and he cried a lot. So what. If that's considered superb acting, then blow me down with a feather. He doesn't deliver his dialogue with much conviction. There's lots of hugging going on and the word "man" said a lot. The bulk of the cast are most unlikeable. The one actor in it that I thought was quite good was Lars Mikkelsen as the father. I don't think I will ever sit through this film again. It was 87 minutes long and felt like an eternity

perkin2000 A mostly excellent Irish film about a double murderer (one gerbil, one human) and the effect that seemingly small acts can have in the immediate and long term.The Richard of the title is an 18yr old lad from a good family living in an idyllic portrait of youth: beach parties, disposable income, good looks, popularity, mobility and a bright looking future.One night, he attends a party where alcohol blurs perception and emotions run high, leading to an (unintentionally) fatal confrontation. The remainder of the film is an exploration of how Richard deals with the repercussions of his actions and highlights the burden of guilt he carries.The acting, by the whole cast, is superb, and elevates what could be a mundane film into the realms of a highly recommended one.Originally posted at: http://filmplop.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/050213- what-richard-did-2012.html