Director J.C. Chandor creates a thrilling movie with just one actor, almost completely dialogue-free. In All Is Lost, a man, who is credited as “our man” is lost out at sea in his sailboat in the vastness of the Indian Ocean. “Our man” is played by a fantastic Robert Redford who is as good as ever in this performance. We see him wake up urgently one morning in his boat after it has accidentally struck an Asian crater that is lost at sea, puncturing his boat, frantically making him find a way to save it from sinking. Only, this is just the first test that this man will have to overcome in order to survive, and it doesn’t get any easier.
All Is Lost gives us an up close and personal look at Robert Redford who is the only man we see on screen, in a riveting performances that mostly features him trying to survive. We don’t hear him talk other than to try to call out for S.O.S. or to grunt or curse out in frustration after the many trials and tribulations that he encounters while floating across the Indian Ocean.
We never get to know his name or any back story about the man. We don’t know who he is, why he is out there, how he got there, or anything. We just see him in rough situation after rough situation and naturally pull for him as if we know his entire life story. This is credit to strong direction from Candor, and a tough gritty performance from Redford who gives a lot mentally and physically. Redford gives a truly physical performance here, holding his own with rough stunts that had to have put him in the water for hours on end. He has to battle rough storms that flip the boat over, setting up life rafts, and try to fish without sharks using him as bait.
Redford draws you in to his character, waiting and hoping that his every move goes well. It seems that all that can go wrong for this poor guy does, as it’s one thing after another. But with a strong will to survive, anything is possible. As the days grow longer, the sun grows hotter, and slowly his fresh water and food runs out. It seems that all is lost, but the man needs to hold out for some hope as he is constantly looking at his map, awaiting for the moment where he will eventually float through the main cargo ship route, hoping to be picked up and saved there.
It’s a telling performance from Robert Redford who needs to show everything he has on screen just from facial expressions and his physicality. Chandor and him get the most out of this movie through this and it’s one of the most captivating performances you’ll see all year, more worthy than most roles are with dialogue. It’s hard to imagine the 77-year-old Redford not capturing a nomination for his work here, as he really gives it all to the very end, leaving me in pure awe and wonder.
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