Bait (2019 film)

Bait
File:Bait theatrical poster.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Mark Jenkin
Produced by	Kate Byers Linn Waite
Written by	Mark Jenkin
Starring	Edward Rowe Mary Woodvine Simon Shepherd Giles King
Music by	Mark Jenkin
Cinematography	Mark Jenkin
Edited by	Mark Jenkin
Production company	Early Day Films
Distributed by	BFI Films
Release dates	30 August 2019 (2019-08-30)
Running time	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

• Edward Rowe as Martin Ward
• Mary Woodvine as Sandra Leigh
• Simon Shepherd as Tim Leigh
• Georgia Ellery as Katie Leigh
• Giles King as Steven Ward
• Chloe Endean as Wenna Kowalski
• Isaac Woodvine as Neil Ward

Production

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

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." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

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.' He later named Bait his favourite film of both the year and the decade. 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.

Accolades

Year	Festival or Institution	Category	Nominees	Result	Citation
2019	British Independent Film Awards	Best Director	Mark Jenkin	Nominated
		Best British Independent Film	Mark Jenkin, Kate Byers, Linn Waite	Nominated
		Breakthrough Producer	Kate Byers, Linn Waite	Won
		Best Editing	Mark Jenkin	Nominated
	Edinburgh International Film Festival	Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film	Mark Jenkin	Nominated
	Galway Film Fleadh	Best International Film	Mark Jenkin	Nominated
	IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival	Audience Award for Best Feature Film	Mark Jenkin	Won
		International Competition - Grand Prize City of Lisbon	Mark Jenkin	Nominated
	Istanbul International Film Festival	Golden Tulip Award	Mark Jenkin	Nominated
	Montreal Festival of New Cinema	Prix de l'expérimentation	Mark Jenkin	Nominated
	Stockholm International Film Festival	Best Director	Mark Jenkin	Won
		Best Film	Mark Jenkin	Nominated
	New Horizons Film Festival	Audience Award for Best Film	Mark Jenkin	Won
		Grand Prix	Mark Jenkin	Won
	British Academy Film Awards	Outstanding British Film	Mark Jenkin, Kate Byers, and Linn Waite	Nominated
		Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer	Mark Jenkin (Writer/Director); Kate Byers, Linn Waite (Producers)	Won
2020	Crested Butte Film Festival	Best Narrative Feature	Mark Jenkin	Won

External links

• Official website
• Bait (2019) at IMDb
• Bait (2019) at Rotten Tomatoes
• Bait at Metacritic