All is Lost: Movie Review

Director J.C. Chandor’s follow-up to the fantastic 2011 film “Margin Call” is somewhat of a mixed bag.  “All is Lost” features a fantastic, nearly dialogue free performance by Robert Redford and some truly gripping moments, but the film begins to become almost unbearable mid-way.  Even with its’ 107 minute run-time, “All is Lost” feels endless.

When an unnamed man’s (Redford) 39-foot yacht is hit by a floating shipping container in the middle of the Indian Ocean, he manages to patch up his boat after taking on a whole lot of water.  If that was the worst thing to happen to this man, then he would be very lucky, but it’s not.  He also winds up sailing into a major storm and this is where “All is Lost” becomes relentless.

Redford is superb here and it is probably one the best performances I have ever seen from the actor.  The seasoned actor seems to get quite physical with his performance as well. There is so much that happens to his character, that I find it hard to believe anyone could have survived much of it. 

Two of the biggest issues I had with “All is Lost” is that the film’s pacing is at a snail’s pace and when your whole film features just one actor and very little dialogue, it can be hard to sit through.  The second is the film’s ending, although, I don’t think I would have l would have been satisfied by any outcome.  The only reason to give “All is Lost” a chance is Redford and some fantastic cinematography.  Just be prepared for a rough time at sea.

By: Marc Ferman