All is Lost (2013)
Certified: 12A
Duration: 106 minutes
Directed by: J.C. Chandor
Starring: Robert Redford
KRS release
Robert Redford plays a sailor, whom we do not know by name, on a sailing trip on his own. He is nearly 2,000 nautical miles away from the Sumatra Straits when his trip gets into trouble.
He is awakened by a loud noise and finds that there is a hole in his boat and water is rushing in. With difficulty, he manages to patch up the hole. However, he cannot tell anyone of his problems as his communication mechanisms have all been damaged. Besides, he is very off course, outside a shipping lane and thus chances he is found are even smaller.
To top it all, a huge storm is on its way and he may have to leave his boat and face the tempest in an inflatable life raft. All is Lost follows the sailor as he tries not to give up.
Winner of various awards, All is Lost is a masterpiece that should have been on the Oscar nominees list but was blatantly snubbed. Starring only Redford and being almost dialogue-free, the film is about nature, its unpredictability and man’s continuous struggle against and with it.
Director J.C. Chandor, here on his second feature, has made a film that is perfect for its star. Without unnecessary huffs and puffs, he tells a simple tale, one that however will grab you and hold you throughout the film’s duration. It’s an exercise in suspense that works wonders. Chandor’s previous picture had been 2011’s Margin Call, which had delved behind the scenes of the recent financial crisis, and which I had really enjoyed.
The film has various elements and facets to its simple and linear topography. It shows how much man can suffer, persevere and fight against the elements and find the will to survive. Redford’s unnamed character is tested and tested over and over again and the audience will probably start to pray for him to make it through.
I do not usually like this kind of movie, but the fact that Redford’s character is alone, combating against everything, made me feel inspired and strong and weak at the same time. A man alone on a boat is not usually the epitome of a suspenseful thriller, however, here the effect is simply spot on.
All is Lost is propelled forward by Alex Ebert’s musical score which adds dimensions to Redford’s struggles and battered expressions. It does so effortlessly and lures us further into his struggle.
Redford, winner of two Academy Awards, founder of the Sundance Film Festival, Hollywood superstar and environmentalist, is still in fine form. Seeing him fight like this, I prayed that in my time of need I would have the courage and willpower to fight as much for survival and make sure that not all is lost.