All Is Lost (2013)

[J.D.]

I had heard about 77 year-old Robert Redford making a movie about a guy who wakes up on his 40 foot yacht in the middle of the Indian Ocean to find it sinking.

That's the first half of the story. As a sailor, I looked forward to seeing it, knowing that it came from Hollywood and that Redford is the only person in it. As a film buff of sorts, I looked forward to it because I like Redford and it sounded like an interesting concept. The entire screenplay is only 32 pages, or so I believe.

Redford is a strong enough actor to carry this off but that's really the bulk of good news. Some of the special effects are very good but again, it's not enough. There is a list somewhere of the incredible number of errors of seamanship our hero makes but I tried to ignore all that and watch the movie. It held me to the finish but only just and most of the credit for that must go to Redford himself. The movie just isn't strong enough otherwise.

This could have been great if it had been made by someone who knew something about sailing. The second half of the movie is about his survival - or otherwise - and his descent into a kind of mad desperation. I could actually forgive him for the last thing he does because you understand his deteriorating mental state.

Good actor, great potential. Left the rest at the pier.

5/10

All Is Lost (2013)

[wobblysauce]

Yep, 32 pages long.

I like this part more..

This is the only movie in the 100-plus year history of international film making that has only one actor and one writer/director but eleven executive producers as well as six other producers of varied titles.

As above about the Seamanship, but thought it was ok, didn't find it bad..

[J.D.]

This is the only movie in the 100-plus year history of international film making that has only one actor and one writer/director but eleven executive producers as well as six other producers of varied titles.

Wow. And they were probably all griping about how much they had to pay the crew.