by Roger on Fri 1st Nov 2019 Arts Cinema Plymouth

Review of "Bait"

Full review

Shot in B&W 4*3 with blemishes to give a slightly home movie effect. Camera allowed to linger on objects and faces to tell the story. Excellent effect allowing plenty of time for viewer to think through the implications of the narrative. Technically a fascinating piece of film making using B&W and unusual choice of shots to provide an elliptical view of the narrative with space for the viewer to consider. As with reality there is no absolute truth here. As a story about the interaction between the characters it has considerable subtlety and shows all the participants as essentially flawed and very human. As a story about the major issue of the way the tourism "industry" trashes our communities, distorts our home lives, and creates massive suppressed resentment against those who come across the Tamar for two weeks or two months and make no contribution it is a powerful contribution. By and large the behaviour of all of the visitors is at best deeply patronising and arrogant - just like real life. The sooner we get rid of these parasites the better. And I imagine that the same feelings exist everywhere that tourists go, it is not a problem peculiar to Cornwall, although it is probably at its worst in the UK here.