Review of All Is Lost (2013) by Jj M — 17 Feb 2014

All Is Lost seems like a sort of reactionary departure from director Chandor's last film (the excellent Margin Call which is always streaming on netflix). Going from a large ensemble to just a single protagonist.

You do sort of pick up a similar thread of methodology though. Both films spool out their storylines without any external context. You are just there, in the moment, no backstory, no exposition. In this film we are dropped right into Redford's boat as it hits a derelict shipping container in the middle of the ocean.

From there the situation becomes progressively bleaker as he overcomes one obstacle only to be set back two steps by another calamity. This is a movie that could have been made for 80 million, but in fact was made for just 8.

5. It is well done throughout and manages to suck you in even with no dialogue. It's only real fault is that you know there are only two possible outcomes, he lives, or he dies. That sort binary plotting casts a bit of shadow, that it holds your attention irregardless is a credit to the filmaker.

At the end of the day it just doesn't feel like a film you have to see though. Solid, but unremarkable.