‘All is Lost’ on Netflix [VIDEO]

I posted here over a year ago that I couldn't wait to see the new Robert Redford film, 'All is Lost.' Imagine how excited I was to find it on Netflix this month! And, I have to say, it was even better than I expected.

I've been a Redford fan since the days of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' and 'The Sting.' He was always my favorite in his film pairings with Paul Newman. In later years, I came to appreciate not only his acting abilities, but also his love of the craft. The man is not a 'star' so much as an 'actor' in the truest sense of that word.

But even with all his vast experience, this movie had to have offered a challenge. I won't give much away except to say that it centers on a man, alone in the Indian Ocean, who finds himself in big trouble. The dialogue is minimal. There's a quick narration at the beginning, and a couple of times when he utters one or two words at a time. Other than that, Redford could only rely on his own acting chops to convey the frustration, fear, and hopelessness of a man lost at sea.

I thought this was the perfect way to see this movie. At home, Jim and I could fill the quiet with our own opinions on what was going on and what 'Our Man' (as Redford is identified in the credits) should be doing. I questioned the silence at first because, if it were me, I'd be talking to myself constantly. But I think the quiet in this movie makes it more intimate. You feel more connected because his emotions are not verbalized. And you become more engrossed as you try to figure out what he's feeling.

There are no flashbacks. There's no back story. No explanation for who this guy is and what brought him to be alone on the Indian Ocean. It is, rather, quite literally the Old Man and the Sea.

Netflix has added a lot of really great movies this month. I have to say, 'All is Lost' is one of my favorites!