"All is Lost" is a great film about a lone man sailing through the Indian Ocean who must overcome extreme situations after his boat gets hit by a cargo ship container. Robert Redford stars and the film has almost no dialogue and no other characters besides Redford. The whole movie is on his shoulders and with every grimace and move, he commands the screen.
I definitely recommend renting this film and thought there were some good game takeaways.
- Grace under pressure. Much like Don Drapper in Mad Men, Redford's characters is able to handle himself when bad shit comes his way. First his boat gets hit, his radio equipment gets damaged and soon a storm comes along, and the entire time Redford's characters reacts to the ever-changing environment with a strong sense of calm. I enjoyed seeing a very masculine character move quickly and decisively when calamities hit. He does breakdown at one point...but who wouldn't after all the shit the guy goes through.
- Never giving up The main character has an intense need to survive, no matter what must happen. He spares no moment to find the most logical way out of bad situations. It was great to see someone show a complete resolve to move forward. Often life beats us down, and while it's ok to take a few moments to express pain, be sure to wipe it off and move toward the solution.
- Learn a skill that uses your hands I'm no carpenter, but the way Redford's character was able to build and work with a variety of tools was impressive. As a chef, I enjoy using my hands to work and create tasty foods. In today's culture, we spend so much time online at a computer that we forget to learn to build with our hands. Perhaps it's our birthright as men to know a skill that requires manual labor to create great things.
Lastly, one of the best parts was that there is almost NO DIALOGUE the entire film. All of Redford's strength is conveyed through his body language, eyes, facial expressions and sheer willpower.
Let me know what you all thought of the film.
"Desserts are like mistresses. They are bad for you. So if you are having one, you might as well have two." - Alain Ducasse
