All is Lost (2013)

Usually you cannot go wrong watching a Robert Redford movie.  All is Lost is like no other Redford film because he is the only person in the entire movie.

Of Course, the concept of only one person in a movie has been done a few times before.  Usually movies like this one give the actor the opportunity to show what they are really made of.  Movies like this are risky because one person has to literally carry the whole film on his back.  In Redford’s case, it is up to him whether he sinks or swims.

All is Lost is about a lone sailor who rips a hole in his boat after crashing into a shipping container in the middle of the ocean.  He is forced to use whatever he has on board to try to stay afloat in order to survive.

The film was written and directed by J.C. Chandor and as I mentioned before, Redford is the only person in the movie.

Redford has been behind the camera more often in recent years than he has been in front of the camera.  All is Lost is the second film that he has been in this year.  The first one was The Company You Keep (2012).  Redford is now 77 years old.  It is almost like he has realized that he is not getting any younger and has decided to try to go out with a bang.  What better way to do this than to be the only star in a film and showcase all of your acting skills for the world to see.  He did exactly that in All is Lost and in my opinion, it was his best performance since the film The Natural (1984).  It may also, quite possibly, have been Redford’s best movie overall since The Natural.

All is Lost is not a feel good movie, but it is a movie that might make you feel better about life after watching it.  It is definitely a film that will stick with you.

Because the film is a one-man-show, there is not a lot of talking.  Not just anyone could have starred in this movie, and to me, it was more meaningful that it was Robert Redford who did.  It is a hard story to tell and an even harder part to act.

I think that All is Lost is Redford’s third best movie behind The Sting (1973) and The Natural.  It is hard to beat those two films, and given that they were made 29 years ago and 40 years ago, you really can’t compare them.

Fans of Redford will not be disappointed with All is Lost.  I think that it is one of the best films of the year.  He deserves an Academy Award nomination for best actor and the film should be nominated for best picture.

I rate this movie a 9 on a scale of 1-10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Buy.

If you liked All is Lost, then you will most likely enjoy the following films:

Wrecked (2010)

The Company You Keep (2012)

Brubaker (1980)

127 Hours (2010)

Buried (2010)

Brake (2012)