"What Richard Did" is one of the more prominent films showcased at the Tribeca Film Festival this year. The film features future Transformers star Jack Reynor and tells the story of a middle class boy whose life starts to fall apart when he commits an unexpected action. On Wednesday, April 24, Reynor and film director Lenny Abrahamson sat down with reporters to discuss their film.
"What Richard Did" is based on a novel "Bad Day in Blackrock" by Kevin Power. Abrahamson was introduced to the novel by producers, but Reynor actually read the work at school.
"I read the book at school. I was incredibly excited about it from the moment that I heard it was being turned into a movie," admitted Reynor. "And then when I heard that Lenny was doing I was like... I have to get this one."
Regarding his perspective on the work, the young actor added, "I went to school in a similar society. I had an outsider's perspective on it... which was great. It meant that I could be really objective when I went in."
Abrahamson revealed that the casting of the film was done a year before production and took place in order to do workshops with the actors throughout the year. The strategy would allow the young adult actors a chance to get to know one another and develop the firm bond that is clear in the film. "That sense of authenticity is the most important thing in the film," Abrahamson stated. "I wanted an audience to feel that they were spending time with real teenagers."
The two also revealed that the bonds between the thespians also enabled the production to implement its stylistic choice of using improvisations. However, the two did assert that the improvisations were controlled.
"We knew it was going to have to be, to some extent, improvised but in a very controlled setting," said Reynor. "So what we did was we had these conversation topics that we would run through. Me and the lads would sit down and we'd go straight into it and start [improvising] in a way that we'd all done before and that we'd all recognize and knew how to pass the ball fast."
Abrahamson noted that the improvisations needed to be controlled because "People run to the most immediately safe area... In order for [improvisation] to work you really gotta know what the scene is supposed to be doing and you really have to be very very rehearsed."
The central character Richard is the model citizen. He is a good athlete and a top student. He is admired among his peers and even has a few heroic moments early in the film. "He's just about harmony and what's right," described Reynor. "The most important thing is that he's just a really good guy."
The character's downfall comes about because Richard is unable to cope with being in control and does not know how to handle failure of losing said power. Abrahamson admitted that he was drawn to this tragic arc because it provided a new perspective on teenage life.
"We're so used to looking at the kid that's on the outside," he noted. "Take the kid that everybody loves; what's it like to be him? What's it like to love your father desperately but know he's a fragile character?
"He lets himself down and he can't handle it."
One of the most powerful scenes in the film features the character losing complete control over his emotions. This writer noted in his review that the scene is "a moment of tragic proportions [in which] he lets out his pent up anger in a whirl of unbridled fury; the camera whips about in unpredictable fashion as Richard howls and bangs everything in sight. The rational man has given way to his animal instincts."
Reynor admitted that the scene was physically and emotionally taxing and was done in three takes; it also required two cameras. "Richard wakes up and [has to deal with] all the thoughts and all the feelings about what he's done. How he feels about himself, the shame that he feels, the terror, everything all hits him in one go and there's nobody else in the room with him to reassure him that it's gonna be okay. He's literally on his own, facing his own demons," said Reynor.
"We deliberately kept the frames a little bit tighter than would contain the action so you feel he's bursting out of the screen," added Abrahamson about the shooting style for the scene. "It's not something that you contain. It's very visceral."
Abrahamson has just finished work on his next picture "Frank" which features an all-star cast including Michael Fassbender, Domhall Gleason, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Scoot McNairy among others. Reynor is slated to appear in "Transformers 4." The actor revealed that after "Richard" he was offered a part in "Delivery Man." That film was shooting in New York in the fall, but production shut down in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. During his time off, Reynor went to Los Angeles and got a chance to audition for "Transformers;" he eventually landed the role.
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