All Is Lost

Awesome Redford under the modest and precise direction of J.C. Chandor. An intense ride from start to finish, when even the viewer descends into deep despair, face to face with the bleakness of the situation. The golden adage “things could always be worse" applies here too. Maybe it’s a bit of a shame that the creator didn’t cross the imaginary line, but it’s true that everybody would have left the theater in a really gloomy mood. One of the movies of the year doomed to be trampled (but unrightfully) by the strong competition. (2013-12-17)

A unique and unusual film based solely on editing and the main protagonist - Robert Redford. Similarly urgent and minimalist as Tom Hanks's Cast Away, or Gravity, except here the hero has even less space, a few square meters to be precise. Although everything seems to be captured authentically at first glance, it doesn't entertain that much, its too slow and contemplative. In the end, only very high-quality craftsmanship remains. (2014-07-02)

Surprisingly good. If we judge the quality of the survival genre solely on the basis of visual satisfaction and maximum visual authenticity, this year's awarded Gravity is obviously well ahead of the rest. However, if we also take into account a films' ability to engage the viewer with the action and a specific atmosphere, the more intimate All Is Lost, by Charon, is a very equal opponent for Cuarón. Even though instead of a spectacular meteor shower we have only a tiny little container, instead of majestic orchestral music we only have remote depressing hope-theme motif playing occasionally, and instead for the infinite cosmos the hero is faced only with a larger puddle, the experience of the appreciative viewer is almost as intense, complex and emotional as in Gravity. On top of that, there's a more likeable survivor who has mastered some really great minimalist acting over a long career. I’m giving it a nice 4*, which, given the low ambitions of the film, I consider the highest possible. )) P.S. I also gave Gravity 4*, just in case.... It’s an excellent film. (2014-02-23)

I wouldn't really chase the whole Gravity thing. Not only am I not particularly keen on comparing the cute ripples of the Indian Ocean to tens of thousands of chunks of space debris peppering orbital stations, but the protagonist, whose range of motion is about 6 x 6 x 6 meters on one and a half ships for the entire movie doesn't resemble Sandra Bullock in her und... I mean, orbiting the Earth. All is Lost is pretty much the same scenario as Buried. It's definitely a good movie, and I'm even convinced that the story in question couldn't have been done better, but I still feel that 106 minutes of an exhausted, aging actor in life peril in the middle of nowhere minus Somali pirates, Navy Seals, and words is more of a instructional manual on hope than a functional narrative. //// The Golden Globe for music at least reassured me that there was some music. (2014-03-18)

An incredible demonstration of will to survive. Yes, a comparison to "Gravity" comes to mind, even in the sense that there are some very impressive effects here, or rather, the execution looks unbelievably believable, which is also due to Robert Redford's incredible performance. To undergo this at an age when most people are already looking for their favorite retirement homes or, God forbid, coffins, he embarked on a quite demanding filming and demonstrated that he is a true legend. Although it's sometimes a bit boring, I still eagerly awaited how it would turn out and what obstacles fate would throw at him. (2014-01-15)