ALL IS LOST
(2013)
Written & Directed by- J. C. Chandor
*Robert Redford
Robert Redford plays an unnamed seafarer in J.C. Chandor's one-man mother of all survival films, All Is Lost.
Alone within a never-ending canvas of blues and greys, an old sailor finds his boat to be flooding through a hole caused by a stray shipping container.
Armed with only his grit and a superior sailor skill-set, he takes on the Indian Ocean with gritted teeth and orange overalls. With an arsenal of makeshift tools and an uncanny knack for resourcefulness, the seafarer seems to overcome wave after wave of hardships, until weariness starts to settle in and all, quite literally, seems to be lost.
In a survival film there isn't much scope for a well-developed plot, as much as there is the need for a constantly captivating screenplay.
All is Lost pulls that off handsomely. And without dialogue!
Redford is precise in his flailing efforts to maneuver that flimsy raft to safety and he manages that without ever confiding in the audience. We are simply viewers gaping through a window as a man, alone and silent, tries to make the best of what he's given. We are disconnected from him on a superficial level just as our connection deepens on a more empathetic level, overawed by his resolve.
The screenplay is an achievement in itself which deserves applause. But his resilient battle is rivaled only by the seafarer's character itself.
Robert Redford's old sailor proudly joins the pantheon of the Most Badass Characters Ever to be Filmed. In his late seventies, he is faced by insurmountable odds and bests them every time. I can only imagine how awesome he would have been in his prime.
Though he's not your regular tough and tattooed seaman, in fact the seafarer is a wrinkly grandpa figure who can stare fear in the eye and command it to go cry in the corner.
The mute fire of survival in his eyes intermingled with the slight exasperation of his experience alone makes him a contender for one of the best performances of the year. But boy, was Redford robbed.
The film takes its time to build up. The early scenes on Virginia Jean are a bit of a drag as it's difficult understanding a singular character who barely speaks, but once on the rubber raft, as the odds stack up against him, you can hear yourself cheer for the solitary sailor.
The penultimate scene where chinks in his armor finally show, as he scribbles a final note before his imminent death, tugs at your soul.
I liked Chandor's debut, Margin Call, but he fine tunes his craft immensely with this silent character study of a man lost at sea.
A fantastic notion that, but it never appealed like this.
Rating- 4.2/5
(2013)
Written & Directed by- J. C. Chandor
*Robert Redford
Robert Redford plays an unnamed seafarer in J.C. Chandor's one-man mother of all survival films, All Is Lost.
Alone within a never-ending canvas of blues and greys, an old sailor finds his boat to be flooding through a hole caused by a stray shipping container.
Armed with only his grit and a superior sailor skill-set, he takes on the Indian Ocean with gritted teeth and orange overalls. With an arsenal of makeshift tools and an uncanny knack for resourcefulness, the seafarer seems to overcome wave after wave of hardships, until weariness starts to settle in and all, quite literally, seems to be lost.
In a survival film there isn't much scope for a well-developed plot, as much as there is the need for a constantly captivating screenplay.
All is Lost pulls that off handsomely. And without dialogue!
Redford is precise in his flailing efforts to maneuver that flimsy raft to safety and he manages that without ever confiding in the audience. We are simply viewers gaping through a window as a man, alone and silent, tries to make the best of what he's given. We are disconnected from him on a superficial level just as our connection deepens on a more empathetic level, overawed by his resolve.
The screenplay is an achievement in itself which deserves applause. But his resilient battle is rivaled only by the seafarer's character itself.
Robert Redford's old sailor proudly joins the pantheon of the Most Badass Characters Ever to be Filmed. In his late seventies, he is faced by insurmountable odds and bests them every time. I can only imagine how awesome he would have been in his prime.
Though he's not your regular tough and tattooed seaman, in fact the seafarer is a wrinkly grandpa figure who can stare fear in the eye and command it to go cry in the corner.
The mute fire of survival in his eyes intermingled with the slight exasperation of his experience alone makes him a contender for one of the best performances of the year. But boy, was Redford robbed.
The film takes its time to build up. The early scenes on Virginia Jean are a bit of a drag as it's difficult understanding a singular character who barely speaks, but once on the rubber raft, as the odds stack up against him, you can hear yourself cheer for the solitary sailor.
The penultimate scene where chinks in his armor finally show, as he scribbles a final note before his imminent death, tugs at your soul.
I liked Chandor's debut, Margin Call, but he fine tunes his craft immensely with this silent character study of a man lost at sea.
A fantastic notion that, but it never appealed like this.
Rating- 4.2/5
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