“All is Lost” by J.C. Chandor, tells the eight day story of a man whose small yacht is hit by a large metal shipping container of sneakers, resulting in a gaping hole in the side of the boat.
Robert Redford’s, the unnamed character in the film, (“The Company You Keep”), has troubles that do not end there. The damage to the boat causes water to reach the radio which destroys it along with navigation equipment.
Soon after, a major storm finally destroys the yacht for good and leaves Redford with only raft. His struggle with daily survival is an amazing story of human resilience.
Redford is stone-faced and emotionless as he battles through storm, starvation and sharks that would lead most people into complete despair.
Despite some of the major gaffes in acting, the cinematography is an excellent creating a dream-like atmosphere. Every shot looks as if it could have been a photograph fit to hang in a museum. The shots were artistic but not so much as to be distracting to the overall story.
The film’s lack of dialogue could have led to a lack of emotional appeal to the viewer, but the overall story was very compelling and refreshing in its presentation. Redford’s nautical odyssey is one that rivals Ernest Hemingway’s “Old Man and the Sea” in its beauty and power.
