Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Movie Review: All Is Lost Starring Robert Redford -- an SM Cinema Exclusive

There is something noble about man's intrinsic will to survive. I'd say it is part and parcel of human nature. However, the level of this desire for survival varies in each of us. There are people who tend to give up easily when faced with hard challenges while others will try to fight until the very end. Which kind of individual are you? When all is lost, at what point would you throw in the towel?


The movie, All Is Lost starring Robert Redford (read a Q&A with him about the movie here), impressed me very much with its powerfully moving tribute to one man's ingenuity and resilience. It is gripping in its intensity to evoke different emotions from the film's beginning to end. I acutely felt all those shifts from frustration and fear to anger and despair while watching.

I don't think anyone who watches this movie would come out without being affected by everything that happened to the main (actually, only) character. Perhaps, like me, you'd also feel awed while wondering about the significance of one man against Mother Nature when she unleashes her fury.


Given that the Philippines has just suffered through a super typhoon a couple of months ago, my great respect for the environment once more came to fore during the scenes when the sailor had to fight a violent storm in order for him to live. 

All is Lost is written and directed by Academy Award nominee J.C. Chandor with a musical score by Alex Ebert (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros). The story begins when an unnamed sailor awakens to discover his yacht filling up with water after it collided with a shipping container that seemed to have fallen from a passing ship and was left floating in the high seas.

The man's resourcefulness enabled him to patch the big hole but with his navigation equipment and radio out of commission, he sails unknowingly into the path of a violent storm. He barely survives with the help of his mariner's intuition and a strength that is admirable in a man of his age.


Although he had a sextant and nautical maps to manually chart his progress, the sailor had to rely on ocean currents to get to the part of the Indian Ocean where ships pass in the hopes of a passing vessel seeing and rescuing him. Unfortunately, the unrelenting sun, the presence of sharks, and the dwindling of his meager supplies would soon force the staunch survivor to finally accept his mortality. Did he live or did he die? You have to watch the movie to find out! 

Released by Solar UIP Philippines, All Is Lost starts showing this February 5, 2014 at SM Cinemas. I got to watch the press screening earlier in SM Megamall's soon-to-open Director's Club and it made the experience of watching a good movie doubly awesome! This venue is in a class of its own with ultra comfortable, plush and fully-reclining La-Z boy armchairs with side tables. We even had ushers serving us food exclusively catered by Snacktime!


If you want an indulgent movie experience, buy tickets to one of SM Cinemas' Director's Club located in various SM Malls. You can find more information about it here. By the way, get 50% discount on your movie ticket if you're an E-Plus member! I'm not sure though if it will also apply for tickets to the Director's Club :)


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