What Keith's Watching: All Is Lost (2013)

Admittedly, I started off with biased feelings toward All Is Lost due to my man crush on Robert Redford. I don't think I've seen a bad Robert Redford movie - this neglects the fact that I haven't seen all of his films.

All Is Lost is simply a survival tale at sea. One man on his boat versus the elements. Think The Old Man and The Sea minus the fish.

I think he's a fantastic actor and nothing proves it more than All Is Lost. It's not a new concept, but it's not a popular one either. The movie is just him on a boat. No other characters, no voices -- all Redford. It's like the part of Castaway when he's on the island, but with less dialogue. Redford's character doesn't feel the need to to craft a friend, because he frankly doesn't have the time. He focuses on his survival, fighting the urge to give up hope as his situation worsens.

There have been a handful of movies that have attempted to have one actor carry the film. Buried with Ryan Reynolds comes to mind, but he was given a disembodied voice. The really challenge of that movie was the cinematography. Really though, Castaway is the only one to spend that much time with an actor with such little dialogue. But not even Hanks dared to carry the entire film on his very trustworthy shoulders.

The concept isn't for everyone. I told someone it was excellent, and after they saw it, they questioned if something was wrong with me. This is another movie for acting fans. All Is Lost is also perfect for people who are looking for something different away from the generic action, comic book, thriller, or rom coms that are populating film these days. It's not a sequel, it's not meant to put your ass in the seat. It's meant to do what film does and conveys a story.