What Richard Did (2012)

What Richard Did follows Richard Karlsen, golden-boy athlete and undisputed alpha-male of his privileged set of South Dublin teenagers, through the summer between the end of school and the ... See full summary »

Director:

Lenny Abrahamson

Writers:

Malcolm Campbell (screenplay), Kevin Power (novel)

Stars:

Jack Reynor, Roisin Murphy, Sam Keeley

7 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Reynor	...	Richard Karlsen
Roisin Murphy	...	Lara Hogan
Sam Keeley	...	Conor Harris
Gavin Drea	...	Stephen O'Brien
Fionn Walton	...	Cian Fox
Lars Mikkelsen	...	Peter Karlsen
Lorraine Pilkington	...	Katherine Karlsen
Padraic Delaney	...	Pat Kilroy
Patrick Gibson	...	Jake Galvin
Liana O'Cleirigh	...	Clodagh Grady
Rachel Gleeson	...	Eimear Byrne
Gabrielle Reidy	...	Eileen Harris
Mella Carron	...	Sophie Kilroy
Billy Gibson	...	Oisin Farrelly
Ruairi O'Connor	...	Niall Tobin

Storyline

What Richard Did follows Richard Karlsen, golden-boy athlete and undisputed alpha-male of his privileged set of South Dublin teenagers, through the summer between the end of school and the beginning of university. The world is bright and everything seems possible, until in one summer night Richard does something that destroys it all and shatters the lives of the people closest to him. What Richard Did is a quietly devastating study of a boy confronting the gap between who he thought he was and who he proves to be.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Ireland

Language:

English Scottish Gaelic

Release Date:

5 October 2012 (Ireland)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Element Pictures, Irish Film Board

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Film 2013: Episode dated 9 January 2013 (2013)

User Reviews

"Atmospheric, dense and mindful..."

Irish screenwriter and director Lenny Abrahamson's third feature film which was written by UK screenwriter Malcolm Campbell, is inspired by a novel from 2008 called "Bad Day in Black Rock" by Irish author Kevin Power. It premiered in Ireland, was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 38th Toronto International Film Festival in 2012, was shot on location in Ireland and is an Irish production which was produced by Irish producer Ed Guiney. It tells the story about a widely held, sociable, responsible and outgoing 18-year-old student named Richard Karlsen who lives with his father, who has his future all figured out and who is spending his summer with his companions.

Subtly and intimately directed by Irish filmmaker Lenny Abrahamson, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated mostly from the protagonist's point of view, draws an unsettling and rarely afflicting portrayal of a prototypical son who, as the title suggests, does something that changes him and his relationship with his family and friends. While notable for it's naturalistic milieu depictions, sterling cinematography by cinematographer David Grennan, production design by production designer Stephanie Clerkin and use of sound, this character-driven story where an athlete from a wealthy background befriends a female student named Lara who is attached to an outsider named Conor depicts an internal study of character where so little is said and so much is going, and contains a fine score by composer Stephen Rennicks.

This nuanced and somewhat romantic drama which is set in a town in South Dublin, Ireland where a rugby player is entering a new phase in his life, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, subtle character development and continuity, multifaceted protagonist, psychological depth, authenticity and the fine acting performances by Irish actor Jack Reynor, Danish actor Lars Mikkelsen and actress Róisin Murphy in her debut feature film role. An atmospheric, dense and mindful examination of consciousness where the gravity of this story which origins comes from real events which took place in the capital city of Ireland in 2000 is sensed in every single frame.