MovieChat Forums > All Is Lost (2013) Discussion > Frustrating Film To Watch

Frustrating Film To Watch

posted 10 years ago by bdoh2
28 replies | jump to latest

What bugged me the most was him not speaking, Who doesn't speak to themselves when your on your own when things are going wrong. A few "How's your luck" "Why me" "your joking me" would of did but nope nothing until he got some salt in his water. Hole in the boat, Nothing, Boat Sinks, Nothing, Nearly drowns, Nothing, Salt in the water *beep*

It has got good reviews but for me I wouldn't be willing to give it more than a 5/10 or 6/10. Why shave aswell. He probably used his drinking water for the shave the way he was going about things.

Only watched because a friend said it was as good as "Cast Away" not even close.

[–] elizdv 9 years ago

I'm watching as I write and came on here to see if anyone felt the same way. It is driving me nuts that he appears to be accepting everything with little to no emotion. I would have been talking, cursing, crying, praying. . .

[–] JeromeSilberman1 9 years ago

The reason he is accepting it all in so calmly is MAYBE because...
he was a military vet?
he is trained in situations such as this?
we dont know anything about him! this movie is amazing to watch

[–] lovedub69 9 years ago

Once you reach a certain level of emotional maturity, you realize that emotional responses make no difference (and often make things worse) in situations where you need to focus (especially if it's survival).

[–] TRhett 9 years ago

EXACTLY. I watched this after reading a short interview with Chandor in The New Yorker - timed to coincide with the release of his latest, "A Most Violent Year," which is about N.Y. in the late 70's - early 80's; in other words, when the city was dying of corruption and apathy. Anyway, the author made the comment that he (Chandor) passed on something more "exciting" . . . I can't remember what . . . to make "a virtually dialogue-free movie in which Robert Redford spends the film frowning at his foundering sailboat."
So I was curious about this strange-sounding creature. And I have to say, even though it was extremely well-made by Chandor and his team, that pithy description was pretty much on-target. Redford proves that he can still - at 77 - command the screen as well as ever, but these "survival movies" are just living on borrowed time. With today's technology, there is just NO EXCUSE for going more than 1,000 yards from shore (or airport or hiking trail, or whatever) . . . without the latest locator/communication technology. I mean, it's gotten to the point that it's almost amusing the way movies have to dispose of that issue right away: "Damn, no cell coverage!" or "Damn, the GPS got smashed!" etc. So, I have to believe (and, with that title, I think Chandor WANTED you to know), that this journey was NOT going to travel - or end up - in a good place. Therefore, the "muted" emotions here were part of the experience. I assume we were supposed to project our own feelings and emotions about what WE would have done onto Redford's character, as well as make assumptions about the reasons HE did or didn't take care of certain details (accidentally/on purpose?) before embarking. Here is the NYer article (very short):
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/05/oil-man

[–] kustom135 8 years ago

"With today's technology, there is just NO EXCUSE for going more than 1,000 yards from shore (or airport or hiking trail, or whatever)"

Exactly the reason to leave it behind, Dad.

[–] TRhett 8 years ago

Yeah . . . unfortunately, dying of exposure, or having to cut off a limb to survive, or being eaten alive by wild animals is not quite as "romantic" as it sounds. I know you think "escaping the world and its technology" sounds good, but . . . it's not worth dying for. There's an easy way to handle this: turn the ringer/radio/beacon/etc. OFF (you can TELL all your "wedding guests" that you were

"Alone, alone, all, all alone,
Alone on a wide wide sea!
And never a saint took pity on
My soul in agony"

- and only use it in an emergency). They'll never know.

[–] dawnrzr 9 years ago

It really depends on the person you are + age.. the older i get the less emotions i give off, i think that's kind of normal.. if i drop a glass or something i no longer swear etc, when i was younger and something broke i would get mad.

[–] kustom135 8 years ago

"I would have been talking, cursing, crying, praying"

. . . when sailing the open sea, single-handedly and in a small vessel, and when facing natural dangers, emotion--the opposite of intellect--will always be a liability.

[–] elizdv 8 years ago

Ok, Spock. . . Every healthy person feels emotion. It is natural and NOT the opposite of intellect. If you are in a life threatening situation and do not feel emotion, not only is it unhealthy, but not very intelligent. With fear comes respect for the seriousness of the situation and the rising if ones survival instinct.

[–] janupriya2001 9 years ago

I watched half an hour of this movie, and had to come here and find out if I really could be the only one annoyed with it. He seems just way too stoic to move me as an audience.

[–] s0s 9 years ago

It is interesting how some people here apparently check IMDB while watching a movie to see if anyone on the planet feels the same way about it as they do. As opposed to watching a movie in it's entirety and sharing ideas about if afterwards.

Apart from that, it appeared very real to me that Our Man stayed so calm despite the hell he was slowly dragged into. It might seem unrealistic to some, and no, I have never been in a situation remotely comparable to Our Man's, but it's well documented that human beings react very differently in extreme situation than what would some logical. Another poster said that the shaving scene seemed ridiculous to him/her. But in war territory or after natural disasters, people instinctively tend to hold on to their everyday life routines as much as possible. I would imagine it's not much different when you're alone at sea.

This movie may not be a masterpiece, but I enjoyed it very much for what it was. At least this filmmaker was brave enough to really use only character in the movie, whereas Cast Away cheated by bringing in Wilson the volleyball.

And Tom Hanks didn't shave.

[–] akirastronaut 9 years ago

It is interesting how some people here apparently check IMDB while watching a movie to see if anyone on the planet feels the same way about it as they do. As opposed to watching a movie in it's entirety and sharing ideas about if afterwards.

Exactly.

I've read in a few comments people that have interrupted/paused the film to come on here, or far worse even, "I'm typing as I'm watching"...! What the hell? Talk about Attention deficit disorder.

IMDB is great, and I love reading anecdotes about the process, people's opinions etc... but I don't get this.

As for the viewers who couldn't stand the lack of words... It's well documented for example that when facing a dangerous situation, some people freeze, some people run, some people scream. You don't know until it happens. Same goes for this situation, and as some people have pointed out, if you're an experienced sailor, it's very easy to imagine that you wouldn't be wasting your time and energy cursing and crying when you should be focusing on surviving.

"Chinese girls do not come with green eyes"

[–] Furiousfury 9 years ago

Couldn't believe how quiet he was throughout even at the end he was barely shouting for help
If that was me, I would have been shouting or singing for those few days, I would have been hoarse with anger by the end.
Still enjoyed it but not as much as I thought I would.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpvcfv5FjfE&feature=related

[–] JeromeSilberman1 9 years ago

then you would have died day 2 . He was reserving his energy

[–] brookebarber 9 years ago

He was severely dehydrated ... thus lost his voice.

[–] franzkabuki 9 years ago

Yes, it would have so much better if Redford had provided a constant running commentary of cheesy one-liners like Bruce Willis in Die Hard 2.

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] dmitri_faleev 9 years ago

Agreed. Lack of emotion shouldn't be confused with lack of action.

[–] JonahVarque 9 years ago

Duh. He didn't have a volleyball to talk to.

WARNING!
Objects under T-shirt are larger than they appear!
👅

[–] ianberg 9 years ago

The middle act of Unbroken (3 guys drifting at sea in a raft) was better than All Is Lost.

[–] donna274 9 years ago

It is just a movie. Robert Redford carries it. Buff said :)

[–] just_in_case 9 years ago

I actually preferred it that way. I'm the same mostly. Not everyone is prone to those verbal heart attacks at life's variance.I think also the character is predisposed to emotional distance as somewhat explained in the opening dialog.