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Jan Wahl Movie Review: 'All Is Lost' & 'Torn'

Robert Redford
Robert Redford in "All Is Lost" (credit: Daniel Daza/Roadside Attractions)

(KCBS) - KCBS Entertainment Editor Jan Wahl reviews two new movies this week. First up is "All is Lost," which chronicles a sailor's (Robert Redford) journey of survival after a collision at sea. Also reviewed is "Torn," a story about two mothers who come together after their sons are killed in an act of terrorism.

KCBS Entertainment Reporter Jan Wahl:

Jan Wahl Movie Review: All Is Lost (PG-13) and Torn (Unrated)


 
ALL IS LOST (PG-13)

It's a movie with almost no dialogue and one focus: an unnamed man is stranded at sea, waking up on his small sailboat to find that a random shipping crate had gashed a hole in it. He's a solitary figure in the Indian Ocean. At least "The Life of Pi" had the tiger and "Castaway" a volleyball; this man has nothing but his own ingenuity.

ALL IS LOST - Official Theatrical Trailer (HD) by RoadsideFlix on YouTube

77-year-old Robert Redford does most of his own stunts and also involves us with his emotions and strength of character. A gutsy Redford performance with a special hats off to director J.C.Chandor (Margin Call) for taking a chance with something so different. It's a journey worth taking and a reminder of the power of pure cinema.

Three hats.


 

Mahnoor Baloch & Faran Tahir in "Torn"
Mahnoor Baloch & Faran Tahir in "Torn" (credit: The Film Collective/Brainstorm Media)

TORN (UNRATED)

Shot in the East Bay, particularly Newark and Fremont, two of our fine local filmmakers, Jeremiah Birnbaum and Michael Richter, illuminate a timely story about two mothers forming a bond when their sons are killed in a terrorist attack.

Torn - Official Trailer by Torn on YouTube

In our post 9/11 world, there are forces that drive these two women and the men in their lives apart and both families begin to question how well they knew their sons. This is brave filmmaking with an excellent acting ensemble.

Three hats.


 
Movies To See Right Now: Captain Phillips, Gravity, Don Jon, & Muscle Shoals

Home Viewing/DVD: The Way Way Back, The Heat & The Internship


 
You can hear KCBS Entertainment Editor Jan Wahl's movie reviews on KCBS All News 740AM and 106.9FM Fridays at 8:53am & 4:53pm.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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