Bait

Bait is a lovely little film. B&W. Grainy. Atmospheric. Intense. Beautiful. Maybe, 'cos I was born in Cornwall, I enjoyed it more so? Over hyped? Probably. The acting is a little flat but curiously adds to it's curiosity. Cheers now!

This film should make a lot of people squirm. Yes, you with the prosecco.

Brilliantly shot, cut, interesting and occasionally surprising juxtapositions of scenes keep the interest in a relentless, slow burning story that could erupt into violence almost anywhere in the 89 minutes.

We had great sympathy with the Cornish characters, you feel this film, you know it is the truth. In this respect, in addition to the incredible noir, graininess it is a real triumph.

'Bait (2019)' looks like a movie from the late twenties/ early thirties, with black-and-white cinematography and overdubbed dialogue. It's an odd decision, since the narrative doesn't demand this treatment in the slightest. The story is like something out of a soap opera, a small-town tale of tourism vs local business. It isn't just its abstract aesthetic that marks it as distinct; its plot is peppered with contextless scenes that could either be flashbacks or flash-forwards. This strange choice makes the movie much more confusing than it ought to be. It sort of comes across as an attempt to arbitrarily 'liven up' the flick's relatively straightforward story. Though it does transform the flick into somewhat of an enigma, it never really feels necessarily. The picture just doesn't quite come together as satisfyingly as it perhaps ought to. Its aesthetic is well-achieved, though, and its narrative is typically rather interesting. It's ultimately a fairly engaging experiment. 6/10

Bait is a pretty remarkable film. Saw it at the excellent BFI Southbank. It's set in the present day but filmed using techniques from the old silent film era - with sound - including audio - added afterwards. No moving camera. Shot as if the person being spoken to is holding said camera (think Peep Show). Beautiful black and white. It's an extension of the dogme filmmaking mantra. The director is basically sticking two fingers up at CGI and digital technology. And the result is mesmerising. However, would the drama stand up on its own two feet if it were filmed 'conventionally'? To be honest, I doubt it. But I don't think that matters.

I love the texture in this, every shot is beautifully framed. A recent film, using old techniques (shot on 18mm).

Shot and edited by Mark Jenkin. All of the sound is done in Post-production. So much effort behind this, and it looks amazing.