All is definitely not lost when it comes to the nominations, awards and praise for this movie which is another award winning movie in the American Survivor genre along with Castaway and 72 Hours.
All Is Lost showcases man’s perseverance for survival amidst the impossible forces of both nature and circumstance. The movie begins with Robert Redford’s nameless character loosing hope and apologizing, saying goodbye to an unknown loved one. Then we are brought back eight days ago, to where it all began.
Robert Redford (we never know the name of his character throughout the film) wakes up with a start as a floating shipment container hits his ship the Virginia Jean and water starts coming in his boat (think of Titanic beginning when they hit the ice burg) and this of course is the beginning of his insurmountable ordeals.
The movie has no dialogue which gives more power to Redford’s acting and why he deserved all those Best Actor Nominations and his win (in that category) from the New York Critics Circle.
Most movies even get awards for the script and the screen play but All Is Lost had no dialogue but Redford was still able to deliver a powerful performance which really resonates throughout the film, even without words you know what he’s going through and all this just through his great acting!
Right after the movie. Two thumbs up – just holding a cup of soda from the Director’s Club Cinema at the New SM Fashion Hall in SM Megamall. |
Redford gets through one challenge after the next displaying a seaman and a survivor’s strength and resiliance. I thought that he was a different kind of “action star” on a league of his own (a different kind of action star) from his contemporary Liam Neeson’s gun wielding, bone breaking, threatening-over-the-phone Taken character.
Redford’s sea-savy character definitely walked the walk as he knew the different sailor knots and even knew how to navigate the seas using a sextant (and I actually had to Google that since I had no idea what it was!) and he seemed to know all the equipment inside his boat. I guess if you would be sailing in the middle of the ocean you would know a thing or two (preferably a lot) about sailing.
One thing that I really don’t get about American Survivor films is – why would you do -anything potentially dangerous and life threatening?! (sailing, rock climbing, biking etc) alone?!
I really can’t comprehend taking up anything that could be remotely dangerous (if not life threatening) as a hobby. Can you tell with all the movies/tv series that I watch, the books that I read and the music that I listen to that I am a home buddy?). Although I have friends who have taken up mountain climbing as a hobby I would not be joining them any time soon.
The whole sail around the world alone or travelling in an RV or on a boat as an idea of a good time or even retirement is a concept that is very foreign to us Filipinos (so let’s just keep our limbs and leave it to the foreign films).
Our grand parents or retired parents are mostly home buddies who are happy taking care of their grand children.