ALL IS LOST - Review

All Is Lost

Survival Drama, 2013
1 hour, 40 minutes
Written and Directed by J.C. Chandor
Rated PG-13 for "brief strong language"

Starring
Robert Redford



All Is Lost is an excellent lesson in minimalism. In its sets, in its acting, in its visuals, everything about it is simple. With the exception of a monologue to open the film, Redford speaks hardly 30 words throughout the whole movie. There is no one else in the whole movie. Not another soul. Just a man, the sea, and his boat.
The trouble begins one day when Redford, a nameless man on his yacht, finds water in his boat. Upon investigation, he discovers that a shipping container has crashed into the side of his boat. Sounds a lot worse than it is, but this is just the beginning of the man's troubles. Soon a storm hits, and, well, you can take a guess as to what happens next. The entire film is just Redford trying to survive the deep blue sea. He can't catch a break. It's a real nail-biter.
The score, cinematography, and visual effects are spectacular. It's all simplistic
The most minimalistic feature of All is Lost is Redford's character. We don't know anything about him. What's his name? Is he married? Any kids? Job? Age? Rich? Poor? What is he doing on his boat in the first place? The only thing that we really know about him is that he has a boat and he's just trying to survive. This is what makes All is Lost so great. We don't care about who this guy is, only that he survives. He's instantly relatable because he's just some guy. Then again, he's the only guy, which helps us sympathize with him further. Redford completely captures the essence of this nameless man. His entire performance comes from his body and his facial expressions, and he totally nails it.
There's nothing totally insane that happens. No crazy Life of Pi style shit. Just a man trying to survive. And it moves at a surprisingly fast speed. By the time the movie had ended, I was a little shocked that an hour and 40 minutes had just zipped past. It felt like nothing at all. But it was worth every second. It's hugely entertaining, and is sure to pick up some awards.

9.6/10