By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Tomorrow, three motion pictures open with diverse stories that tackle the subject of survival. All is Lost is a tale of primal survival, Sunlight Jr. features a story about economic survival under the recession, and in Thor: The Dark World, the survival of the universe is at stake.

Robert Redford is “Our Man,” the only actor seen in All is Lost, a thriller about a man lost in the Indian Ocean. With the exception of one utterance of desperation, the only words spoken are in opening narration. For the next 106 minutes, we witness the Sisyphean efforts of “Our Man” trying to keep his boat afloat. The ending will inspire discussion for both sailors and landlubbers.

Redford is fantastic; he underplays brilliantly and spends most of All is Lost thinking of his next solution. In its simple storyline, All is Lost contains as much depth as Ernest Hemingway’s Pulitzer Award-winning novel The Old Man and the Sea. Expect Oscar buzz for this film.

Sunlight Jr. is Florida Film Noir, featuring dark performances from Naomi Watts, Matt Dillon, Tess Harper and The Walking Dead’s leading man, Norman Reedus. Filmed in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, the poverty of Sunlight Jr. is interchangeable with the poverty of Downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Sunlight Jr. is a dark movie that goes from bad to worse.

Richie (Dillion) is a paraplegic who is married to Melissa (Watts), a clerk who works at a mini-mart called Sunlight Jr. Living in an efficiency apartment, the two obviously love each other, despite living from paycheck to paycheck. The couple is better off than her bloated Mom (Tess Harper) who raises white trash grandchildren. Richie and Melissa have one night of grace that leads to their most disastrous decision.

For pure Saturday Matinee popcorn-eating fun, go see Thor: The Dark World. The formula for fan favorite moments are there: three riproaring cameos, two post credit sequences that tease the next movie and provide a chuckle for those who wait. This film also features some fantastic visual sequences and cliff-hanging moments.

While it would help to review Thor and The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World is a stand-alone movie. Thor’s human love interest Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) stumbles from the dark ages with the potential to destroy the entire universe. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) attempts to rescue, but first must enter in an alliance with his villainous brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston). For all of the fantastic set pieces, it is the character dynamic that makes this film this weekend’s predictable box office blockbuster. However, for quieter tastes, check out All is Lost.