Bait

... and the anger and the rage and the torment, in this exquisitely crafted modern day masterpiece whose tale mimics that of so many misplaced traditions and the voids they leave behind as they sink to the bottom of the briny. With outstanding cinematography and performances to boot - filmed in black & white, this is anything but monochrome.

Giving a numerical score to a film like this is very difficult because it depends entirely upon what you want from a film like this. As a piece of art this film is a 10 out of 10. The use of a 16mm clockwork camera, bold editing, dubbed dialogue and hand-processing of the film all serve to enhance the themes of the film perfectly (miscommunication, old vs new ways of life, conflict between classes, gentle aggression of gentrification).

Having said that, if you are looking for a film that captivates you with story and plot, look elsewhere. There is a plot and but it serves as something through which to display the technical aspects of the film itself.

It reminded me of short stories by people like Raymond Carver and Flannery O'Connor: there is a lot to chew on but most of the fat lays beneath the surface, as such the film doesn't hold your hand and if you don't tend to consider the technical aspects of film making when sitting down to watch a film, then this probably isn't for you.

I have given this film a 7/10 because I think that is the closest approximation I can give it but pieces of work like Bait serve to further emphasise how reductive rating films numerically is. If you enjoy films that tell low-key, theme rich but action light plots and focus on the technical craft of film-making then I think you will enjoy this. It's only 89 minutes long and there are no other films being made right now like it.

Oh, one titbit, if you aren't accustomed to the Cornish accent, I recommend subtitles if available. Even for UK natives some characters accents may prove too thick to catch every word.

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.

Imagine this. Taylor Swift releases a bunch of new songs on a 78 rpm shellac record, and before selling it she adds some scratches to make it sound really old.

'Bait' is the cinematographic equivalent of this imaginary album. It's a movie set in the present, but made with the equipment and filming technique from a century ago. The result is that we see a modern story on grainy celluloid with lot of white flecks, and an image sometimes suddenly becoming darker or lighter. Even the sound is special: everything is dubbed, resulting in a certain stiffness we know from movies made in the 1930's.

It's a gimmick, and it's brilliantly done. 'Bait' is different from all other films you will see this year. And that in itself is a great quality. But is is the only one. The film is worthwile because of the gimmick. Take it away, and imagine the same story, filmed on an ordinary digital camera with great colours and good, natural sound, and it would be nothing special.

That's why the film didn't really appeal to me. It's not that I didn't appreciate the effort to make something out of the ordinary. I did, but halfway I wanted more than juist the gimmick. Also I had sometimes trouble following the logic of the story, and in my opinion the quick cross cutting scenes were a bit too much. If the 1930's style of the film would have served a purpose, for example in flash-backs or found footage, it would have been different. But now I was left with mixed feelings. I admire the audacity of the experiment, but I wasn't carried away by the overall cinematic experience.

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.