ALL IS LOST (2013)

"All Is Lost" is the prime example of how you take an actor and push them to their limits. Robert Redford has had a career as long and diverse as any decent actor in Hollywood, so how do you challenge yourself when you've pretty much done it all? The answer is this film. Redford is by himself the entire picture, saying hardly any dialogue and relying on facial expressions, body language, and his environment to tell the story of a nameless charcter (referred to as "Our Man" in the end credits) who faces one large calamity after another at sea.

The story begins with a shock to "Our Man" (Redford) as he is awoken by a tremendous crashing noise. His sailboat, the Virginia Jean has taken a hit from a rogue metal shipping container that collided with his vessel. Soon after, he finds himself having to repair his ship and face deadly surges caused by a large storm that his vessel, is heading straight for.

Robert Redford plays "Our Man", a man whose ship is damaged at sea.

The plot is relatively simple, almost too simple. As a matter of face, the script for the film was only about 32 pages long. Our Man speaks only three times that I can recall in the film, needing Redford to largely communicate what the character was feeling through his actions, emotions, and projections on his face. From the very beginning, there is no clear indication if Our Man will ever be rescued and the movie has only one real "plot point": survival. There is no A-B-C story here, there is a typical three act structure, but all of that doesn't matter in the film's grand scheme. The movie is about survival. Will our man make it out alive?

As is usual in these sorts of films, there is some form of indication that our characters will be okay, but director J.C. Chandor (who also wrote the script) brilliantly creates a scenario which gives the audience no hope at all, replicating the feeling that Our Man must ahve been experiencing the very moment it occurs on screen. I can't remember the last time that a one man film had such power. Francis Lawrence's "I Am Legend" strived to do what "All Is Lost" does, but failed because Will Smith just isn't on the level that Robert Redford is as an actor. I was convinced by the end of the film that Redford can do anything and do it extremely well (we'll be seeing him next in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., finally moving into blockbusters after having a mostly dramatic career). Had this film been in anyone else's hands, it wouldn't have worked. He is an everyman, yet at the same time, he is hypnotizing. We're forced to keep our eyes on him the entire film which then forces us to panic when he dips underwater or is suddenly faced with having to complete a seemingly impossible task like finding fresh water.

Things are not looking good as the Virginia Jean enters a fierce storm.

My favorite scene in the film however is the final time that Our Man gets to go through any sort of daily routine. He shaves his face, has a meal, and tries to get some sleep as he heads into a monster of a storm. The audience feels what he probably was experiencing at that point: this is the last time that he'll get to do any of the mundane tasks of life for at least a while. Possibly never again. It's heartbreaking, yet at the same time, inspiring. Robert Redford again sells this scene without needing to say a single freaking word.

The score for the film was written by Alex Ebert and plays an extremely crucial role in the film. Since we are left with no dialogue from our main character, sound design and the film's score must be kicked into high gear, in theory. Bernard Herrman once said "a film's score says what actor cannot" and he was certainly right in this case. The score is played by only about a half dozen musicians and is as frail, sensitive, and sad as Our Man. Also, wide shots of the massive and expansive sea become extremely claustrophobic as there is absolutely no land or help in sight. However, hidden within the main theme was a sense of hope. I wanted him to be okay and to come out alive.

It is impossible to say too much about this film without spoiling anything, so I'll keep this brief. "All Is Lost" is a lesson in what great acting, writing, and directing can do. J.C. Chandor paints a picture entirely with sound, visuals, and the performance of a legendary actor who stepped up to the plate with tremendous results. The film is beautifully lit by cinematographers Frank G. DeMarco and Peter Zuccarini. Together the actor and crew created a terrifyingly beautiful tale at how unforgiving mother nature can be and how the conviction of a single person can go a long way.

8.5/10

Rated R
Written & Directed by J.C. Chandor
Runtime - 106 minutes
7.5 stars of 10 on IMDb
94% on Rotten Tomatoes