REVIEW - 'All Is Lost'

"All Is Lost" (PG-13) ***1/2
After a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful, unnamed sailor (Robert Redford) finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face.

Think 'Life of Pi' without the animals or the 3D, made in the minimalist vein of 'Gravity' (once again without the 3D) and '127 Hours'.  And when I say 'minimalist', I mean it.  Robert Redford is the only actor in the entire movie.  His character doesn't really have a name, being listed as "Our Man" in the ending credits.  We barely know anything about him, barely learn anything about him and he barely talks.  He radios for help once, shouts for help a few times, yells the f-word once, and has an opening narration.  That's the only dialogue in this movie.  Allegedly the script was only 31 pages long.  Most of the time we are watching Robert Redford react to certain dangerous situations in the middle of the Indian Ocean almost in total silence for 100 minutes. 
  
Tangent aside this is a very good, almost great movie.  If Robert Redford isn't nominated for an Oscar I will be surprised.  Sure he barely verbally speaks but his expressions and body language during every situation do a lot of the talking and clearly convey everything his character is feeling.  The score and the camerawork are both top notch, with plenty of beautiful shots of the Indian Ocean and of various sunsets and sunrises.  Whenever a situation arises, it gets very tense, very unpredictable to an extent and at times downright terrifying.  Sure Robert Redford does make some dumb decisions later on in the movie (one of which I might include in a future 'Movie Nitpicks' post) but he does these acts out of desperation, being pushed beyond his limits to try and survive this unimaginable ordeal.  

'All Is Lost' is very well made, very well acted with an Oscar worthy performance from Robert Redford, and quite tense.  If you liked 'Gravity', you'll probably like this movie.  If you didn't like 'Gravity', this will probably bore you to tears.  


TRAILERS
The Book Thief - Looks like Oscar bait...but it doesn't look bad.  

Gloria - A Spanish language comedy from Chile that as the trailer advertised is that country's entry for contention to being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.  I mean it doesn't necessarily look bad and I chuckled a few times during the trailer but it just doesn't really look like something I'd go see.  

Inside Llewyn Davis - The latest from the Coen Bros., whose work includes the 'True Grit' remake, 'Big Lebowski', 'O Brother Where Art Thou', 'No Country For Old Men', etc., etc.  It actually looks pretty good and had a nice catchy folk song playing during the trailer.

Kill Your Darlings - Even though he's playing American poet Allen Ginsburg in this movie, Daniel Radcliffe will always be Harry Potter.  With that aside, this doesn't look terrible.  Once again just not necessarily something I'd go see.  

Cesar Chavez:  An American Hero - Biopic of Cesar Chavez.  It looks like it could be good, but also kinda looks like Oscar bait.