The Cannes Review Report rounds up each day’s notable premieres, along with a sampling of their reviews and tweets from the south of France. Below is a collection of reactions to “All is Lost,” the new film from “Margin Call” director J.C. Chandor.
“All is Lost“
Category: Out of Competition
Director: J.C. Chandor
Starring: Robert Redford
Synopsis: “Deep into a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean,
an unnamed man wakes to find his 39-foot yacht taking on water after a
collision with a shipping container left floating on the high seas. With his
navigation equipment and radio disabled, the man sails unknowingly into the
path of a violent storm. Despite his success in patching the breached hull, his
mariner’s intuition and a strength that belies his age, the man barely survives
the tempest. Using only a sextant and nautical maps to chart his progress, he
is forced to rely on ocean currents to carry him into a shipping lane in hopes
of hailing a passing vessel. But with the sun unrelenting, sharks circling and
his meager supplies dwindling, the ever-resourceful sailor soon finds himself
staring his mortality in the face.”
Reviews:
“‘Margin Call’ showed impressive formal
control on Chandor’s part, and despite the looseness and immediacy of the
handheld camerawork here, his direction feels polished and assured in every respect.”
“Disappointingly, while he creates one
realistic peril after another, Chandor’s screenplay does not give Redford much
of a character to play with.”
Simon Gallagher, What Culture:
“The film is a grim and rather relentless
analogy for the slow, inevitable march towards the grave.”
“Among its other attributes, ‘All Is Lost’ is a
fascinating attempt to eschew the conventions of the battle-for-survival genre.”
“An impressively realized work of minimalist storytelling that foregrounds Redford’s physicality more than any other role in his celebrated career.”
Geoffrey Macnab, The Independent:
“It’s to Chandor’s credit that he contrives an
ending that is both graceful and dramatic without lapsing into melodramatics.”
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter:
“Redford, who can’t avoid exuding charisma,
plays this role with utter naturalism and lack of histrionics or self-regard.”
“Chandor resolutely avoids stage tricks…that
might, in less rigorous films, have been deployed to supply backstory or
facilitate emotional empathy.“
Tweets:
“Chandor’s Margin Call follow-up ALL IS LOST
answers the question ‘Do we rly need another lost at sea film?’ With ‘Meh, not really.'”
Alex Billington, First Showing:
“All is Lost – A stunning work of art.
Grueling, thrilling, meticulous, moving. Redford is extraordinary, filmmaking
is remarkable.”
“All Is Lost, JC Chandor’s follow-up to Margin
Call, adds up beautifully: Robert Redford+sinking yacht=elemental survival
drama.”
Kenji Fujishima, InReview Online:
“ALL IS LOST (2013, Chandor): a one-man
survival-at-sea tale. Maybe elemental to a fault, but Robert Redford is
tremendous.”
“There’s no denying star power. While the
filmmaking is splendid, Redford makes ALL IS LOST. This ranks among his career
highlights.”
“Joining the choir for ALL IS LOST. Robert
Redford joins Oscar Isaac in the coming Best Actor race a few months from now.”
Matt Mueller, Thompson on Hollywood:
“Robert Redford is pretty darn great in All Is
Lost. Hardly says a word but his solitary fight for survival is emblematic
& iconic.”
“Alex Ebert of Magnetic Zeroes provided the
tremendous score to All Is Lost. Was like a musical elegy, both epic &
soft.”
“ALL IS LOST (B+) Astonishing, expertly
crafted story of one man alone, trying to survive. A very emotional journey
worth taking.”
Steven Zeitchik, Los Angeles Times:
“Redford’s All Is Lost is that rare, affecting
film creature: minimal storytelling with maximal metaphor.”
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