What Richard Did. The best Irish film of this century.

Sometimes all it takes is a kick to change your life.

Richard Karlsen has it all. He's a good looking chap, has a loving family, friends who look up to him, skill with a rugby ball, a beach house and most importantly to him, he's very popular with the ladies.

It's the summer before he goes to college and he wants to make the most of it. He sets his sights on Lara and from here events conspire to change the course of his life.

To say anymore would spoil this magnificent film. 

It's main theme would be loss of innocence but the underlying stronger subtext is saying that if you have the money and the means you can more or less do what you want with impunity. Some may call this cynical but events ( specifically the Club Annabel death on which this is loosely based ) show it to to be the sad truth.

The acting, from a mostly unknown cast, across the board is superb. On paper Richard, played by newcomer Jack Reynor, sounds like someone people would love to hate but he's a really nice chap. Not clichéd at all. Treats the girls with respect and even looks after the younger lads, who in other films would be the butt of jokes. Its a layered performance. Even when he's being nice, you can see the gears turning in his head, and you get the sense that he could use violence as a solution to his problems

Róisín Murphy plays Lara, the girl Richard falls for. She's a nice girl, who gets her head turned when the rugby star shows an interest in her. Its not a showy role but she plays it well. Lars Mikkelsen (Brother of Mads) plays Richard's father. It's a fantastic performance. A man who will do anything for his son. The inner turmoil is clear in his eyes. A confession scene between father and son in the latter half of the film is devastating. The anger and grief is palpable and pours off the screen. It's one of the best things i have ever seen in an Irish film.

The film is directed by Lenny Abrahamson ( who directed the wonderful Adam & Paul and the Cannes award winning Garage ) and written by Malcolm Campbell. And its fantastic on both counts. Low key but explosive at points. Subtle yet cutting. Funny then horrific. It looks superb too. This is a Dublin we don't get to see on screen very often. D4 Dublin, all transatlantic accents and tree lined avenues. It makes a nice change from the poverty and crime we usually see.

A superb, shocking and evocative portrait of modern day Ireland.