All Is Lost Reviews

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since I really enjoyed J.C. Chandor’s previous directing effort, I was quite eager to check it out. Well, first of all, to be honest, I thought the whole thing was like a very long and agonizing anti-commercial against sailing. I mean, seriously, if you ever thought of buying or renting a sail-boat and go on some adventure, you might first want to watch this movie. That’s maybe the only issue I had with this movie. Indeed, I don’t really care about sailing and watching this flick made the whole thing even less attractive to me. However, I doesn’t mean that it was a bad movie, far from it. Indeed, I always had a weak spot for such minimalist movies dealing with one character like ‘127 Hours’, ‘Buried’ or ‘Locke’ and this movie is probably one of the best in this genre. Indeed, even though we know nothing and learn nothing about the background of this lonely character, Robert Redford managed to make him really compelling to watch without any dialogues. Furthermore, it was visually impressive, it must have been terribly difficult to film but the whole thing was really spectacular and completely convincing. To conclude, even though I wasn’t completely blown away by this movie, there was still something quite mesmerizing about the damned thing and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

The idea, or, less than it, the form (one man struggle in silence with nature) is more than the substance. I would like to know why tha character founds in travelling alone in the sea at his age. !He could talk to himself and to us, for christ sake¡.

"I'm sorry... I know that means little at this point, but I am. I tried, I think you would all agree that I tried. To be true, to be strong, to be kind, to love, to be right. But I wasn't."

Written and directed by J.C. Chandor (Margin Call), All is Lost is one of the manliest movies of 2013. It does not earn its manliness by including action, violence or cigars - rather, All is Lost is a low-budget man vs. the elements survival thriller that warrants its "manly movie" label through its depiction of one man's determination, grit and courage in a desperate situation. This is not exactly a plot-driven movie, but rather a cinematic experience - it allows us to experience being trapped in the middle of the ocean surrounded by nothing but water. If Life of Pi was stripped of its cloying philosophical bullshit, it would look a bit like All is Lost. The movie is also structurally similar to Alfonso Cuarón's critically-acclaimed Gravity but with a far more interesting leading man in Robert Redford.

There is not a great deal of story to All is Lost. It contains maybe twenty lines of dialogue in total, therefore the script reportedly ran for only thirty-two pages. In a nutshell, the movie is about Man (Redford), who has embarked on a yachting trip in the Indian Ocean. Awakening one morning to find water flooding into the cabin, Man realises that his vessel has struck a wayward shipping container, causing a sizable gash. He does his best to repair the damage, but both his laptop and his radio were damaged by the water, leaving him alone in the middle of nowhere on an unstable boat. Making matters worse, massive storms begin to hit, putting Man's survival instincts to the test as he uses all available resources to stay alive and find rescue.

On paper, All is Lost shouldn't work, as it's a 105-minute motion picture featuring only one actor who says very little. Nevertheless, it's a marvellous achievement in visual filmmaking, and for the most part, remains a compelling sit. The fact that All is Lost works is a testament to the well-judged direction, cinematography and editing, as well as the Oscar-nominated sound design which generates a breathtaking sense of atmosphere. The score by Alex Ebert is hypnotic as well, but not intrusive - he provides understated musical cues to enhance the viewing experience. At times the meagre budget is obvious in some rocky digital effects, but the sense of stark realism is otherwise unbroken. It's mesmeric cinema to watch as Man is battered and beaten by Mother Nature, and the intense sequences are punctuated by well-judged moments of tranquillity. Chandor even takes advantage of the possibility for underwater oceanic shots, observing schools of fish circling underneath Man's raft.

Experienced yachtsmen will likely be able to nit-pick Man's actions and decisions throughout, but we're never led to believe that he's a veteran seaman. Without a background, for all we know he could be some rich old man seeking an escape who decided to buy a yacht, and his knowledge of survival is very basic. This is why he's so easy to latch onto; he's resourceful but, at his core, he's an Everyman whose actions reflect what any old Average Joe would do in this situation. It helps that Redford is such a compelling actor who looks perpetually focused. Redford might be in his 70s, but he remains an exceptional performer who's more than capable of carrying the movie. It's a performance of stillness and nuanced facial expressions, and Redford nails it, conveying Man's emotions and thoughts with practically no dialogue. Redford also sells Man's unravelling due to exposure and isolation, with dehydration and sunburn making the ordeal all the more gruelling.

All is Lost might look simple on the surface, but the movie's thematic undercurrents shouldn't be overlooked. It's an absorbing examination of Man dealing with his mortality, and it explores the relationship that mankind has with nature. We may have technology at our disposal, but the natural world is just too dominant and unforgiving, reminding us that we are always at nature's mercy. Chandor does make one mistake, though, by opening the picture with a flash-forward that finds Man several days into his predicament penning a letter to his estranged family. It's an interesting opener in theory, but we feel as if the ending is a foregone conclusion. Thankfully, however, this misstep does not dilute the picture's sense of tension throughout, and it's not enough to ruin the experience. Furthermore, All is Lost eventually culminates with an ending that manages to be satisfying without selling out. This is minimalist filmmaking at its very finest, and it definitely deserves your attention.

8.3/10

When I saw 'The Company You Keep' I said why would he take risks at this age. He took even riskier job in this movie. I heard that he also lost his hearing during filmmaking for this. Robert Redford, the hardworking man at 77. Don't think he's the only one but Bruce Willis, Stallone and Schwarzenegger doing the same. They are capable, but this man put lots of effort to give his best.

Just a year ago we saw 'Life of Pi' about a young Indian boy who was lost in the great Pacific. This time an old man who lost in the Indian ocean finds hard to survive during his drift on the current of the ocean. Performance was undoubtedly great along with fine direction and good visuals. The movie had only one character so the talkings were insufficient, but in a right and convicing way.

I do not doubt, it was a great movie but the timing was bad. I just enjoyed 'Life of Pi' and 'Gravity' and I still feel it fresh in my mind. So to see a movie like this in a short span I was not much excited. The end was good and did not appeal strongly, but kept simple as that. Many people had displeasure on that portion, that could be a reason to vastly dislike it.

In a way the movie had its own strength, especially in the story. When you think the container is what's gonna spoil and damage expedition, actually it won't but storm. Like that there are many others makes you think one and takes you into another. One of the best movie of 2013 according to performance sadly he was not nominated for academy awards. It got only one nomination, in the sound editing category. It is a tough competition in that list so it can be anybody's game.

The marine equivalent to Gravity (yes the sea is scary), I'd add that solitude is vertiginous. Gripping performance by Redford in an almost silent role. Just be ready to face one man alone on his boat for a couple of hours.