All Is Lost
Directed by: J.C. Chandor
Written by: J.C. Chandor
Starring: Robert Redford
Action/Adventure/Drama - 106 min
Written by: J.C. Chandor
Starring: Robert Redford
Action/Adventure/Drama - 106 min
We don’t know where he’s been. We don’t know where he’s going. We vaguely know where he is. However, what we all know for sure is he is in trouble. Known only in the credits as ‘Our Man’, All Is Lost is Robert Redford against the middle of the Indian Ocean. Wind, rain, scorching sun, sharks, and deprivation are just some of the devices Mother Nature carelessly throws at Our Man to take him out, to make him give up. How long can he go on?
A wayward shipping container presumably lost from a monster shipping behemoth punctures a hole in the side of Our Man’s 39-foot boat. With calm self-assurance, Our Man assesses the situation, prioritizes the order of operations of what must be done first to what can wait, and expertly carries out his tasks. There is no yelling, screaming, cursing, or even grunting, just follow-through.
The main difference between All Is Lost and Life of Pi, both lost at sea films, is the former is a study in stoic realism while the latter swims in dramatic melodrama. Our Man does not have time to curl up and cry, he must act, for as soon as he overcomes one life-threatening problem, another one lands in his lap, or more precisely, throttles his boat.
I will not reveal all the specific issues Our Man runs into, his crafty methods to confront them, or even approach how the movie ends. Knowing these details will certainly remove surprises and jolts you will otherwise enjoy. Better not to know than to wait for it. However, if I were in a Gilligan’s Island situation, I would choose to have Our Man along for the three-hour tour than The Professor.
As for ‘men alone with themselves’ movies, which usually are already light on dialogue to begin with, All Is Lost comes close to a silent film. Tom Hanks was downright chatty with Wilson the volleyball compared to Our Man who won’t lower himself to converse with his sextant. On the other hand, All Is Lost is bathed in sound due to the incessant lapping waves and occasional squall. The score by Alex Ebert is also enjoyable and clearly noticeable compared to other films where the score is talked over.
Compared to director J.C. Chandor’s previous film, Margin Call (2011), All Is Lost is 99% silence while the earlier movie was 99% back and forth verbal sparring. The two films could not be more different, but perhaps one comparison is that he showcases folks reacting under pressure. Our Man definitely has a healthy bank account to afford his boat, its accessories, and time away from whatever it is he does in the real world, but he also has the abilities and composure to not fall victim to ‘Whoa is me’ tantrums.
Redford delivers a commendable performance. He is the only person on screen for the entire running time and only gives us facial expressions to convey his thoughts and feelings; there is no voiceover or personal soliloquy. Some say only Redford could achieve a performance of this magnitude, but I suspect other elder-statesman actors could pull it off as well.
Regardless, go see All Is Lost for the unique experience of witnessing a wordless duel between man and nature. Throw out the dramatics and just get down to business.
A wayward shipping container presumably lost from a monster shipping behemoth punctures a hole in the side of Our Man’s 39-foot boat. With calm self-assurance, Our Man assesses the situation, prioritizes the order of operations of what must be done first to what can wait, and expertly carries out his tasks. There is no yelling, screaming, cursing, or even grunting, just follow-through.
The main difference between All Is Lost and Life of Pi, both lost at sea films, is the former is a study in stoic realism while the latter swims in dramatic melodrama. Our Man does not have time to curl up and cry, he must act, for as soon as he overcomes one life-threatening problem, another one lands in his lap, or more precisely, throttles his boat.
I will not reveal all the specific issues Our Man runs into, his crafty methods to confront them, or even approach how the movie ends. Knowing these details will certainly remove surprises and jolts you will otherwise enjoy. Better not to know than to wait for it. However, if I were in a Gilligan’s Island situation, I would choose to have Our Man along for the three-hour tour than The Professor.
As for ‘men alone with themselves’ movies, which usually are already light on dialogue to begin with, All Is Lost comes close to a silent film. Tom Hanks was downright chatty with Wilson the volleyball compared to Our Man who won’t lower himself to converse with his sextant. On the other hand, All Is Lost is bathed in sound due to the incessant lapping waves and occasional squall. The score by Alex Ebert is also enjoyable and clearly noticeable compared to other films where the score is talked over.
Compared to director J.C. Chandor’s previous film, Margin Call (2011), All Is Lost is 99% silence while the earlier movie was 99% back and forth verbal sparring. The two films could not be more different, but perhaps one comparison is that he showcases folks reacting under pressure. Our Man definitely has a healthy bank account to afford his boat, its accessories, and time away from whatever it is he does in the real world, but he also has the abilities and composure to not fall victim to ‘Whoa is me’ tantrums.
Redford delivers a commendable performance. He is the only person on screen for the entire running time and only gives us facial expressions to convey his thoughts and feelings; there is no voiceover or personal soliloquy. Some say only Redford could achieve a performance of this magnitude, but I suspect other elder-statesman actors could pull it off as well.
Regardless, go see All Is Lost for the unique experience of witnessing a wordless duel between man and nature. Throw out the dramatics and just get down to business.
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