It's tough to overstate what director J.C. Chandor has achieved with All is Lost. This is a movie featuring only one character, alone with sparse dialogue and no backstory, for more than 90 minutes, and it represents a gripping experience. It's minimalist filmmaking, sure, but it's highly effective and easy for one to be swept along. The weight of the entire movie working for a viewer rests on two things, the ability of Robert Redford to hold our attention, and Chandor's ability to build suspenseful scenarios. Both men score high marks, and that's why All is Lost works splendidly in ways you wouldn't expect.
The movie's premise (not to be confused with plot, since there is virtually none) involves a lone mariner (credited as "Our Man") stranded aboard his house-boat somewhere on the Indian Ocean. As the film begins, he notices his boat has collided with a crate, leaving a hole in the side, letting abundant water in and frying most of his electronic equipment. After patching up the side with cloth and lacquer, he notices a storm approaching. With dwindling food and water, calling this situation grim would be an understatement.
Survivalist movies featuring a lone character in peril have picked up in popularity in recent years. Hell, it represents the premise for one of 2013's best films (Gravity) and a multi-Oscar winner from 2012 (Life of Pi). But that's where the similarities end. In this case, Redford has no one, no radio chatter or wild animals or even Cast Away's Wilson the volleyball. Most of his dialogue is confined to an opening voice-over, and that means he must carry the film with facial expressions, body language, and actions. For doing this so successfully and bringing us into his corner, a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars (even more impressive considering the crowded field) is mandatory.
Giving Redford's character no name or background is a humongous risk. After all, without these basic tenets of movies to string us along, how can we root for him? But I can think of two reasons why All is Lost succeeds here. First of all, this man is depicted as not only resourceful, but unflappable. When the first accident strikes, he calmly goes about his business in cleaning up the damage. When the storm hits, he's all business. It's a portrait of how many of us would love to behave in such a situation even though most of us would probably wallow in despair. Secondly, as long as said character isn't a "bad" guy, why wouldn't we root for him to achieve the impossible? Those who view All is Lost and wonder why we should care with so little to work with should pause and consider the opposite.
Chandor varies the situations enough to keep us hooked. His handling of the storm sequence is superb, and the various beneath-the-water shots of swarming schools of fish help lend the movie a unique aesthetic. Because this decidedly not mainstream material (in spite of the participation of a screen legend like Redford), we're kept wondering throughout whether this man's battles with death will end in triumph or defeat. The ending allows for interpretations for either side depending on the viewer's mindset. All is Lost is the correct title.
Look, this movie doesn't really "work" the way most do. For many, the thought of putting one actor alone on screen (unless you consider nature or the boat to be characters) for this length of time might seem like an experiment too wacky to pull off. Still, in spite of the absence of many traditional movie staples, it's hard not to be impressed by what All is Lost has to offer.
Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
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