Bait (2019 film) explained

Bait
Director:Mark Jenkin
Music:Mark Jenkin
Cinematography:Mark Jenkin
Editing:Mark Jenkin
Studio:Early Day Films
Distributor:BFI Films
Runtime:89 minutes
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English

Bait is a 2019 British drama film written and directed by Mark Jenkin. Starring Edward Rowe as a struggling fisherman, the film deals with the tensions that arise between locals and tourists in a Cornish fishing village against a backdrop of second homes, short-term lets, and gentrification.

Plot

Martin Ward is a fisherman in a picturesque Cornish village. He struggles to make ends meet fishing without a boat, while his brother Steven uses their late father's vessel to offer cruise trips to visiting tourists.

Meanwhile, tensions arise between Martin and the out-of-town Leigh family, who use the harbour-front 'Skipper's Cottage' they bought from Martin and Steven as a seasonal holiday home and short-term rental business.

Cast

Production

Jenkin filmed Bait using a vintage hand-cranked Bolex camera, using 16mm monochrome film that he hand processed.[1] Shooting locations include Charlestown and West Penwith, in Cornwall.[2]

Reception

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average score of . The site's critical consensus reads, "As visually distinctive as it is narratively satisfying, Bait blends a classic aesthetic with timely themes to produce a thrillingly original and uniquely enriching drama."[3] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[4]

Writing in The Observer, Mark Kermode gave a glowing review, describing the film as 'a genuine modern masterpiece, which establishes Jenkin as one of the most arresting and intriguing British film-makers of his generation.'[5] He later named Bait his favourite film of both the year and the decade.[6] Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian called the film 'intriguing and unexpectedly watchable', in a four-star review that remarked on the experimental nature of the film.[7]

Accolades

!Year!Festival or Institution!Category!Nominees!Result!Citation
2019British Independent Film AwardsBest DirectorMark Jenkin[8]
Best British Independent FilmMark Jenkin, Kate Byers, Linn Waite
Breakthrough ProducerKate Byers, Linn Waite
Best EditingMark Jenkin
Edinburgh International Film FestivalMichael Powell Award for Best British Feature FilmMark Jenkin[9]
Galway Film FleadhBest International FilmMark Jenkin
IndieLisboa International Independent Film FestivalAudience Award for Best Feature FilmMark Jenkin[10]
International Competition - Grand Prize City of LisbonMark Jenkin
Istanbul International Film FestivalGolden Tulip AwardMark Jenkin[11]
Montreal Festival of New CinemaPrix de l'expérimentationMark Jenkin
Stockholm International Film FestivalBest DirectorMark Jenkin[12]
Best FilmMark Jenkin
New Horizons Film FestivalAudience Award for Best Film Mark Jenkin[13]
Grand PrixMark Jenkin
British Academy Film AwardsOutstanding British FilmMark Jenkin, Kate Byers, and Linn Waite[14]
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or ProducerMark Jenkin (Writer/Director); Kate Byers, Linn Waite (Producers)
2020Crested Butte Film FestivalBest Narrative FeatureMark Jenkin[15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bait first look: Mark Jenkin heralds the new weird Britain. Mantgani. Ian. 30 August 2019. British Film Institute. 10 November 2019.
  2. Web site: BAIT Film by Lecturer Mark Jenkin Gains International Acclaim. 7 February 2019. News. Falmouth University. 14 November 2019.
  3. Web site: Bait (2019). Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. .
  4. Web site: Bait. Metacritic. 10 November 2019.
  5. Web site: Bait review – one of the defining British films of the decade. Kermode. Mark. 1 September 2019. Guardian. 10 November 2019.
  6. News: Mark Kermode's best films of 2019 . Kermode . Mark . December 29, 2019 . The Guardian . December 29, 2019.
  7. Web site: Bait review – fishing-town drama reels you into its weird world. Bradshaw. Peter. 29 August 2019. The Guardian. 10 November 2019.
  8. Web site: Nominations · BIFA · British Independent Film Awards. 21 October 2019. BIFA · British Independent Film Awards. en-GB. 29 November 2019.
  9. Web site: EIFF 2019 Official Awards Edinburgh International Film Festival. www.edfilmfest.org.uk. 29 November 2019.
  10. Web site: Mark Jenkin's Bait wins the Audience Award for best feature film. 13 May 2019. IndieLisboa. en-US. 29 November 2019.
  11. Web site: Bait. madebycat.com. İKSV. en. 29 November 2019.
  12. Web site: This year's festival winners. 15 November 2019. Stockholms filmfestival. en. 29 November 2019.
  13. Web site: FNE at New Horizons IFF 2019: Bait Wins Grand Prize at 19th New Horizons IFF. Grynienko. Katarzyna. 1 January 1970. FilmNewEurope.com. en-gb. 29 November 2019.
  14. Web site: 'Joker' Leads BAFTA 2020 Nominations. Alex. Ritman. . 6 January 2020. 7 January 2020.
  15. Web site: 2020 Award Winning Films . cbfilmfest.org . Crested Butte Film Festival . 3 November 2020 . 12 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191012235904/http://cbfilmfest.org/awards . dead .

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