All Is Lost
Mark Stitham, M.D.
Psychiatrist
What is your official title/occupation? I am a Kailua psychiatrist, board-certified in adult, child and forensic psychiatry. I have been in private practice since 1980.
Where and with whom did you see the movie? I saw All is Lost at the Kahala Consolidated Theatre with Shelly Brown and her parents, Paul and Marianne Brown, visiting from California.
Overall, what did you think? The consensus of our group was rather negative. It seemed that this was primarily a vehicle for Robert Redford at 77 to try for his shot at the Best Actor Oscar. (He has two: for director of Ordinary People and a Lifetime Achievement award.)
Our group noticed several “Hollywoodisms.” Some examples: although he shaves once (during a storm no less) he remains stubble-free for all the days after. And while the makeup people weathered his face over the days at sea, he never wears sunglasses and puts a straw hat on his head for like two seconds.
What was your favorite scene? When the credits started to roll, the audience actually moaned and then laughed at their collective moaning.
On a scale of one to four stars, what would you rate this film? Our foursome came up with ★ 1/2, with ★★★★ a masterpiece, ★★★ very good, ★★ average, fair and zero as poor.
What did you think of the cinematography? Was above-average with the underwater and storm scenes. Reminded me of Life of Pi and, to the
Browns, it reminded them of Cast
Away.
Was the message/theme clear? This is a survival movie with a possible theme of redemption, which wasn’t all that clear.
To whom would you recommend this movie? Hard-core Redford fans, sailing buffs and folks who enjoy survival movies like Cast Away or 127 Hours.
Did any of the actors stand out? It doesn’t give anything away to tell you that Mr. Redford is the only actor in the
film! And, to his credit, he has the talent, experience and charisma to carry a movie with very little dialogue. Very few actors can – Tom Hanks being an obvious second example in Cast Away.
Did you identify with any of the characters? Not really. While I am almost as good-looking as Mr. R., I would never take to the sea solo.
Did the soundtrack contribute significantly to the film? It was too intrusive and at times mawkish. Movie soundtracks are only good when you don’t notice them except in retrospect.
Would you buy this on DVD? Absolutely not, and knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t even rent it on Netflix.
Favorite movie snack? Popcorn with furikake crackers mixed in!
On a different note, what’s new with you? I am also a sometime actor. My most recent role was as Judge Ted Reynolds on last season’s Hawaii Five-0. I am currently writing my memoir, The Name Ends in Ham: Memoirs of a Part-time Entertainer. First printing order is for one copy.
