What Richard Did

In this engrossing Irish drama, a Dublin student puts his bright future at risk when bristling jealousy over his girlfriend's old flame gets out of hand on one fateful night. Newcomer Jack Reynor is highly impressive in the demanding central role, displaying the charisma that makes protagonist Richard the alpha male in his circle of middle-class achievers, yet also conveying genuine depth to his soul-searching when the full implications of his actions hit home. Director Lenny Abrahamson, previously known for his affecting portraits of social misfits in Adam & Paul and Garage, takes a subtle, thought-provoking approach to the material. And while he doesn't hammer the point home, there is an undoubted resonance here with the rise and fall of the Irish national psyche in the wake of the country's recent economic travails. It all adds up to a film that avoids melodramatic excess to offer a compelling, haunting portrayal of one young man at a moral crossroads.