Review of All Is Lost (2013) by Nesbitt10 — 22 Jan 2014

Director J.C. Chandor follows up 2011's Wall Street drama "Margin Call" with a superbly shot "All Is Lost," a near-silent survival procedural that creates an austere snapshot of human struggle, ingenuity, and perseverance. The film is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit when facing insurmountable odds, while employing only a few lines of dialogue to set the movie's tone.

The film begins with an unnamed yachtsman “Our Man” (Robert Redford), in the middle of the Indian Ocean who wakes up to discover that water is pouring into his boat. He quickly discovers that his yacht has collided with a floating metal container and that the hull is substantially damaged. Seemingly unconcerned, he sets about patching up the hull, bails out the excess water and continues on his way. However, with a fierce storm fast approaching, Our Man's problems are far from over.

Without language and human interaction, the film relies heavily on its production values. Frank G. DeMarco and Peter Zuccarini's cinematography is fantastic, highlighting the ocean landscape and ominous skies with a limited amount of CG intrusion. Robert Redford is terrific as the lone, experienced sailor battling the elements to survive.

The camera is consistently up-close-and-personal with its lone subject, but it never provides any kind of back story for "Our Man." Another nagging issue is its lack of inventiveness, and there isn't a moment in the picture or in the story that hasn't been seen or explored before.

That being said, there is an appealing simplicity to Chandor's script, which is enhanced with thoughtful direction and an intensely physical performance by Robert Redford that makes for one hell of a ride.