Saturday, December 21, 2013

Movie Review Madness: All is Lost


All is Lost is a film study of man versus nature and nature wins. In the voiceover opening, Robert Redford's man at sea expresses his dismay and apologizes for not making it. He tried his best, but Mother Nature threw everything she had at him and conquered his boat and spirit. That's it. There is no dialogue. Often the only soundtrack is the wind howling and water spraying. But this film is enthralling and heart pounding and sad.

Robert Redford is superb. He's 70+ now and while fit, he shows his age. His weather-beaten face reflects his frustration as he repairs a hole in his boat, then has to flee in a lifeboat after a killer storm. The ocean is vast and unforgiving, and he was a speck, a piece of flotsam. Great film making and acting. One man in a boat versus a large ocean proves hypnotic.

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