Isolation is a recurring theme at the movies this fall. Sandra Bullock was alone in space, Tom Hanks was held hostage in a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean and anyone who ventured to see Escape Plan was likely the only one in the movie theatre. Now, Robert Redford and Margin Call director J.C. Chandor bring their contribution to this trend with an intriguing premise, All is Lost doesn’t quite pay off as much as it should. While robert Redford gives it his all, the script and subpar directing don’t do any of the positive aspects of the film any justice.

Robert Redford’s lead character is given no name, no distinctable personality, but he is given a major problem; his boat has been heavily damaged. With storms headed his way, he must be ingenuitive if he is to survive this situation, especially since things are getting increasingly worse by the second. With things getting more and more grim, survival becomes less and less likely by the second.

I’ve always admired Robert Redford, but it must be said that 2013 is far from his best year ever. His newest directorial feature, The Company You Keep, was a dull and tired effort and now he’s in this underwhelming film. What’s interesting is that he actually gives one of his best performances here, even more amazing due to him being the only human being on screen for it’s entire screentime, along with his lack of dialogue. Every single gesture or thought he conveys say more than any monologue could and makes this one of the years best performances. Without a doubt, Robert Redford easily becomes the highlight of the film, which has little going for it other than Redford’s mesmerizing performance.

Perhaps the most aggravating feature of the film is the clumsy directing, especially in the department of camerawork, which is really disappointing since Chadford showed great restraint and talent in this department with Margin Call. I realize that the film doesn’t exactly lend itself to the most grand or extravagant directing work at first, but considering Redford managed to go above and beyond using his limited resources, those behind the camera should’ve done the same. Such lack of imagination is the main reason the film gets tedious in many moments, which can also be attributed to a script that sends the protagonist in overly repetitive situations that aren’t worthy of the talent Redford is exhibiting.

Although I appreciate the films gutsy artistic ideals, which include a head-scratcher of an ending, a fantastic lead performance from Redford and a harrowing story of courage and survival, the film falls flat in its execution. All Is Lost is a film that should be the very definition of every humans natural instinct to survive despite the odds; the fact that a film that depicts such an idea is so lifeless is an ironic misfortune.