...oh, those pesky, albeit invariable and inescapable life decisions; with spectrum-wide variance, they have the ability to merely move us through the day, and they have the profound effect of affecting our lives...our very destiny, years to come. The waking hours.....Should I have the cinnamon toast, or the Frooty Pebbles.....Sniff, sniff!! Whoa!! Better shower before I go. Gonna ask for that raise, today.....Hey, you moron!! Pick a lane, would ya'? I'm drivin', here, I'm drivin' here, I'm...Whoa!! Almost hit that pedestrian; that was close, whew.....Yeaaaa!! Won the election. Time to make those changes, which I promised the people...especially for the people that pay me the most.....Will she say yes?? Will she say no?? Oh God, if she says no, I might just have to kill myself.....Let's see, the bottle says 'wash, rinse and repeat'. Wash, rinse, repeat...wash, rinse, repeat...Uh oh, I'm balding back there. Time to call Hair Club for Men.....OK, doors and windows locked for the night, children tucked safely in their beds, alarm clock set for 6:00. Time for bed...Good night sweetheart...Smooch, and ZZZZZZZZ!!!
...and as much as we'd adhere to...or at least,
claim to adhere to a level of control, when it comes to our feelings and emotions...well, let's just say that those self-same feelings and emotions are often times running the show, and as such, are...for the most part...in the driver's seat, when it comes to our making the decisions that affect our lives. Good. Bad. Scary. Elating and Satisfying. Effectual, for the moment. And yes, even Life-Changing. And again...yes, there's the desire to maintain a measure of control, when it comes to how our feelings and emotions affect our decisions making; but let's face it: there are moments where those feeling and emotions
do get out of control, and...good or bad, like it or not...we
have to deal with the repercussions and end result of those situations. In the end, it's
how we deal with those decisions, and the resulting outcome, which makes each of us, the kind of person we are...
...but hey, enough of all this!! Surely you don't think that we are
all gathered here to waxrapsonic about us
, right...about the varied decisions
we make, and how
we deal and react to the situations which result, in making those decisions?? No siree, Bob!! Come...let's us see "What Richard Did", shall we??...
...if their was a clear and concise definition of Richard Karlsen...more so, how's he's unanimously seen as, per his family, his peers and the overall community...it would be not that removed from the old and exclusively traditional headline adage, 'Local Boy Does Good'. Ruggedly handsome, actively sports-fit, wholly responsible & likable personality, appreciative & respectful of his seniors, youthfully dedicated & ambitious, and quite well liked by all. Openly gallant and truthful, though admittedly possessing a slight swagger of rebellion. Blessed...some might even say 'cursed' with being the type of individual, who could always be expected to do the right thing, each and every time. The kind of 'wow' person that, without even appearingly trying to traverse the rigors and obstacles of adolescence, makes it seem all so easy, and as such, the kind of person whom we all have encountered in (our own) adolescence...an example to strive for...and one who, without realizing it, might well instill an underlining measure of insecurity, in some...
(...yeah, I'm playing with y'all, just go with it, 'kay??)
...and yet, beneath it all, Richard is not without his own worries and insecurities. Hardly blind to the pedestal, which he's placed himself on, as unconscious as that might be, he fully realizes the respected and beloved level, which he's aspired and lived up to...and there's no denying some underlining inner fear within him, of being knocked off that lofty, heightened perch, for whatever reason...a shaky sort of pride. It's that self-same, tainting crust of insecurity, which rears it's effect on his relationship with his new girlfriend, Lara, who clearly loves him for the kind of person who he is. And yes, without a doubt, he
does see all that, but there's no denying his more out-weighing concerns...his fears of whether or not he's doing her right, as far as their relationship, and that has given cause for some uncomfortable moments, between the two of them...
...brooding, and not really having the best of times, while in attendance of a post-high school, pre-college, mid-summer house party, with all of his friends in attendance, Richard muddles through the festive, alcohol-laden event. His mind stay becomes aggravatingly static and unnerved when he sees Lara repeatedly engages what appears in his mind, as 'close' conversation with her ex-boyfriend, Conner, who has marked an unexpected presence at the party. Lambasted by his behavior by Lara, when Richard confronts her on the encounter...which proves to have been one of mere innocent and casual speak between Lara and Conner...things eventually reach a culminated and elevated level of drunken rage, when he angry lashes out at Conner, and brutally...uncontrollably beats, pummels and kicks a grounded & indefensible Conner. Eventually, Richard...standing embarrassingly aghast amongst the shocked witnesses to the vicious assault...storms off angrily, leaving Conner badly bruised, broken, bloody...himself, crawling off into the darkness...
...the next morning, Richard is taken shockingly aback, when an early news broadcast reveals that Conner was found dead, the victim of an apparent assault, with his assailant reportedly still at large. Suddenly, Richard finds himself awash with absolute horror and tortuous indecision, as far as what he needs to do. Now quite torn, with regards to doing the right thing...turning himself in...versus hiding, playing innocent and/or running; either way, he feels that potentially, he might well lose the love, admiration and respect of those around him, and as such, Richard finds himself in the throes of mental and emotional impasse. Loyal and supportive friends...some of whom were witnesses to the tragic event...refrain from speaking up, with hopes of Richard doing the right thing. Rumor, suspicion, shame and heart/mind/soul-eating guilt run their course, amidst the community. And eventual confession amidst family members, gives license to blatantly show Richard the ever-rippling damage, which he has done to those around him...how the tragic events have affected them. And in relentlessly tearing him down...heart, mind and soul...Richard comes to the pivotal, potentially life-changing, crossroads moment of decision, as far as what he
has to do, as opposed to what he
wants to do.....
...over the years, the subject matter of 'assault and death amongst adolescents' had become an interesting and poignant cult movie sub-genre, in it's own right (...least we
not forget director Gun Van Sant's visceral excursion from 2003, "Elephant"..."The River's Edge, from Tim Hunter, in 1986...filmmaker Larry Clark's disturbing entry, "Kids", from 1995, just to name a few). It's not surprising how exploitatively intriguing and compelling, albeit in a sometimes unnerving and ugly way, this gratingly controversial subject matter, most assuredly is...especially when knowing that most movie depictions of such material, is either directly or loosely based upon actual documented incidents...even outright ripped from newspaper headlines. However, with "What Richard Did"...based upon the best-selling novel by fledgling author Kevin Powers, "Bad Day in Blackrock", and itself based upon true events...director Lenny Abrahamson seems to have taken a much more unconventional approach to the subject...unconventional, as compared to the often depicted 'norm' of this material, which from the general viewing audience's point of view, was already unconventional, in the first place (...hey, 'norm' is relative, right??). And the overall approach to
this particular film, clearly comes from the heart and mind, rather from the gut...
...a clear standout amidst the film's young, attractive, well-considered and well-rounded casting herein, actor Jack Raynor (...recently, of 2014's "Transformers: Age of Extinction") exudes a certain reflectively parallel appeal and magnetism, especially being physically not that far removed from the main character, which he portrays here...the hapless, and invariably tortured Richard. But the initial physical appeal hardly deters what invariably proves to be an an extraordinarily powerful, dramatic and easily sympathetic performance on Raynor's part, making him reflectively relatable to viewers, from an emotional and thought-provoking facet. Though most viewers probably haven't had the displeasure of experiencing tragedy on the particular level of that, as bluntly confronted by the Richard character, most...if not all...will assuredly feel for his tortuous dilemma. Will Richard act out of his own self-serving accord, or will he think and consider the hurt, which he's blatantly caused his friends and family? Could there possibly be a decision of amiable equity, which would appease both??...
...but then, that's exactly what makes "What Richard Did" such a unique and engaging piece of compelling melodrama; rather than...as might be expected, in a film of this particular ilk...graphically exploit the act of violence, which most assuredly has occurred, in the midst of these proceedings...nope, there's just no getting around that...the writers, filmmakers and performers excel themselves in unveiling the resulting, anguished and stone-in-the-water rippling mental and emotional workings, which kick into gear, as the result of the crime. And yet, the same basic territory, as might have been more exploitatively traversed in other films, is still prevalent, in this film, though with the 'action', or event, taking more of a backseat, to the reaction. As the old saying goes, 'not with a bang, but with a whimper', so to speak...
...without hesitation, this one's well worth looking into...
No comments:
Post a Comment