Robert Redford stars in All Is Lost, an open-water
thriller about one man's battle for survival against the elements after his
sailboat is destroyed at sea. The film is a gripping, visceral and powerfully
moving tribute to ingenuity and resilience. Deep into a solo voyage in the
Indian Ocean, an unnamed man (Redford) wakes to find his 39-foot yacht taking on
water after a collision with a shipping container left floating on the high
seas. With his navigation equipment and radio disabled, the man sails
unknowingly into the path of a violent storm. Despite his success in patching
the breached hull, his mariner's intuition, and a strength that belies his age,
the man barely survives the tempest. Using only a sextant and nautical maps to
chart his progress, he is forced to rely on ocean currents to carry him into a
shipping lane in hopes of hailing a passing vessel. But with the sun
unrelenting, sharks circling and his meager supplies dwindling, the
ever-resourceful sailor soon finds himself staring his mortality in the
face.This movie was one of the quietest intense movies ever.
There really is no speaking in it and all emotions are shown via Redford's
facial expressions and body demeanor. I have never been a fan of being on the
water and this movie is a prime example why. The playing out of his experience
continues to get dreary and drearier and it is a real testament to Redford's
silent action and the direction of the film that at no point do you get bored of
it.
I would recommend people checking this movie out. It is very well
made and acted and has one hell of a hook to it that doesn't let go even though
every part of it is so simple.
