Customer Reviews

Cashback

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This is one of the most remarkable films I've seen in quite some time. In fact, it has lurched into the pantheon of my all-time favorite movies! It is a somewhat odd mixture of diverse ingredients, with elements of Office Space - Special Edition with Flair (Widescreen Edition) and High Fidelity and even some allusions to Gladiator (Widescreen Edition) thrown in just for fun. On top of that, much of it makes you feel like you're in the Twilight Zone, yet there's some downright slap-stick comedy that is stirred in for one amazing concoction of a story!

The DVD details the life of an artist (Sean Biggerstaff) who is having an awful time getting over his ex-girlfriend who just dumped him. He's having such a rough time, in fact, that he can't sleep. I mean, literally - he has the worst case of insomnia the world has ever seen. Finally, he gets a job working 3rd shift at a supermarket, just for something to do.

While there he meets up with a very pretty cashier (Emilia Fox) and some just plain crazy co-workers. He looks at even something as banal as working in a grocery store as being an "artistic" (if not metaphysical?) experience, and finds himself gravitating towards the lovely blonde cashier.

At the base, what this movie seems to be "all about" to me is a sort of meditation on feminine beauty, and the way that (straight) men perceive that beauty. Yes, this includes the female nude, but in an artistic way as opposed to being sleazy. The film is full of useful flashbacks that help us understand the evolution of an artist's perception of women. Many of these flashbacks,in fact, I could relate to in my own life.

Be warned that this is a very "different" sort of movie. Being an independent film, it goes well off of the beaten-track, and to me that's a good thing. While I'm sure there are plenty of people who will watch this and say "Boy, that was weird" I'm also confident that there are many who will say "Wow, I'd like to see more introspective flicks like that!" I belong to the latter group.

This is Sean Ellis's Academy Award nominated short film Cashback expanded into feature film. Cashback is a comedy first and foremost, and it is about an art school student and aspiring artist named Ben (Sean Biggerstaff), who recently suffered a breakup with his girlfriend of several years. Because of the break up Ben cannot sleep for over the course of several weeks and this is the time period of Ben's life that we see and he narrates for us. Ben gets a job at a grocery store to pass his time. He often imagines stopping time completely and creating his still life art. In fact, as the film goes one we begin to wonder if he really can stop time or not. Soon Ben begins to fall for a clerk named Sharon (Emilia Fox) and his episodic insomnia gets resolved.

Cashback is rich with great characters and some hilarious moments. Ben is dry enough to fittingly suffer through his many experiences, all the while his flat reactions to these other brighter characters is comedic in and of itself. Ben's friend from childhood Shaun (Sean Higgins) is an amusing womanizer who seems completely at peace with the fact that most women will harshly reject his obnoxious advances. Ben's boss Jenkins (Stuart Goodwin) is an absurdly arrogant person that also seems entirely unwavered by his failures to pursue Sharon, or even win a football game against a competing grocery store. Barry and Matt (Michael Dixon and Michael Lambourne) are two colleagues of Ben's who are constantly being ridiculously mischievous and make for some of the film's best laughs. Another colleague of Ben's is Brian (Marc Pickering) whose kung-fu training defines him as a person. This is obviously a character-driven comedy, but it is the development of these characters that makes the more subdued drama work to its advantage.

The short film, which is on this DVD as well, is basically comprised of the scene in the film where we first meet and establish these colorful characters. It is the most engaging part of the movie. The only difference between the segment in the short film and the long version is that the long version is slightly edited for sexual content. I found it strange that in the short film all the girl's are clean shaven but in the long version they suddenly have pubic hair. Nevertheless, the feature film sliding by the MPAA with just an R-rating is still a wonderful surprise. The standards have seemingly changed and perhaps the MPAA sees nudity as more pleasing to the eyeballs, as opposed to seeing someone's eyeballs being torn out of their head with pliers. No matter, you get both versions with this DVD and the film's primary function isn't as a skin flick to begin with. It is actually sort of disappointing to hear about all the nude scenes anytime I hear about this movie, although it would be silly not to point out that the nudity involves some of the most beautiful women in the world (e.g. Hayley Marie Coppin, Irene Bagach, Keeley Hazell).

I've heard that director Sean Ellis is working on a horror film next with Lena Headey. That has me curious because Ellis shows more technical ability in Cashback than we are used to seeing in most comedies and I believe he has given me reason to look out for his next project. Cashback is both more entertaining and more vulgar than most comedies out there and it deserves credit for that. It doesn't seem to be getting the exposure I think the film warrants as it is probably very accessible to an American audience. I hope it catches on as I enjoyed it very much.

In 2006, the short film Cashback was nominated for a best live-action short Oscar. Writer/Director Sean Ellis then went on to spin the short about a night-shift worker in a supermarket into a feature about a night-shift worker in a supermarket. Using the same actors, and even most of the footage from the original short, Ellis adds a painful breakup to our hero's life, which brings on a case of incurable insomnia. Looking for a way to cash in on his inability to sleep, art student Ben Willis (Sean Biggerstaff) applies for a job at an all-night supermarket.

Anyone remember Saved By the Bell and Zack Morris's envy-worthy ability to utter the phrase "time-out" and thus freeze time? In Cashback Ben has this same ability, but he uses it in a much more libidinous way: to undress attractive women in the grocery store he works at and then draw their nude figures. Granted, these gratuitous scenes are not the crux of the film, but they're likely to be the most memorable to most viewers. As the camera slowly pans over (and back over) the striking nude female forms, the audience is to see Ben as an intrepid young artist, not as a peeping Tom. The artistic presentation of the women, and the flashbacks to Ben's childhood experiences do their best to give this impression, but the extended length of the scenes and their lack of importance to the final outcome of the story, implies a hint of exploitation rather than simple artistic expression. For the most extensive look at the indelible female form since Striptease, Cashback has cornered the market. Cleverly disguised in the form of a romantic comedy, Cashback manages to comes across as an artsy British Garden State meets Showgirls.

With an endearing cast of characters, including Emilia Fox as Ben's new love interest at the supermarket, Cashback offers an intriguing story exploring the complicated topics of relationships and self-expression through surrealistic methods, including freezing and fast-forwarding time. At different points, the world is swirling around Ben, faster than he can keep up, while at others everything stops and he can examine the world between the moments that we live. Eventually he comes to realize that there are times when fast-forward and freeze frame are on equal footing; no matter what, the past can't be undone.

Cashback is the first feature from director Sean Ellis, and while it's clear that he has enormous talent in the fields of both writing and directing, it's also clear that he has much room to grow as an artist. At times the film begins to meander a bit, and points that seem to have real significance to the story are left by the wayside as new plotlines are picked up. This causes the film to play out almost episodically, like several short films strapped together. This is only fitting, considering that Cashback started as a short. Audiences will not be disappointed by the message of Cashback: "Sometimes love is hiding between the seconds of your life", but they may find themselves wondering about the presentation of the message.

I selected this movie for the photo on the DVD cover, having no great expectations, but after watching it and the short film from which it was derived, I am in complete awe of the originality, creativity, and cinematic genius of it creator, Shaun Ellis. It succeeds on all levels: masterful camera work, perfect casting, splendid dialog, characters with whom you can really connect, and a clever, original plot.

Most of us can personally relate to virtually every situation, emotion, and comment made by the lead character. Rarely does a movie so accurately portray so many almost inexplicable emotions such as longing, loneliness, and utter boredom.

The characters are stuck in the most boring possible workplace and each seek their own ways to preserve their sanity. One idiotic pair play childish pranks, while the female lead, beautifully played by Emilia Fox, covers her watch with tape and avoids looking at the clock at all costs....for as we all know, a watched clock moves even more slowly.


The male lead, played by Sean Biggerstaff, however, embraces the slowness of time's passage, and appears to be able to make time actually stand still. During these periods, when everyone else is frozen in place, he roams about undressing and drawing some of the store's more beautiful clientele. As other reviewers have noted, this could have descended into gross pornography, but, as a testiment to the great skill of the author and director, Ellis, it actually rises to the level of art.

The dual love story is also quite moving: the painful destruction of one relationship and the gradual development of a new one. At all times, both are absolutely plausible and emotionally tone perfect.

In conclusion, there is a much better reason to buy, rent, or borrow this DVD than its cover photo: the simple fact that I and many other reviewers have given it our highest recommendation. So many people just can't be wrong. Please trust us and view this splendid film at your earliest convenience. It is truly a small masterpiece that you will not soon forget.

Cash Back, blown away by this wonderful DVD Movie


I think this movie, Cashback, may have come out back in 2006. Seemingly it had a very late release here in the states. I was truly blown away by this mesmerizingly wonderful movie. It had a great soundtrack, wonderful acting, stunningly beautiful female models (who appeared naked throughout the movie), and a great storyline and plot. A bit of a twist of "the office," meets Indie Films. I loved it!

Gotta say, the young nubile female walking up the stairs fully nude, with the long camera shot of the behind was the best I've seen in an R Rated movie in a long time! So glad it was so classy too, and full of great story and characters!

Two very hard thumbs WAY up!!!

Being honest I bought this movie because Keeley Hazell and other famous models were in it and it was mentioned briefly on Top Gear. I will say that the scene with Keeley is very nice, but as a very pleasant surprise the story was really interesting and made for a nice romantic drama. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes more 'art house' type movies. The fact that you can now buy it at Target, WalMart speaks to its universal appeal.

Ok, I admit it ... just like many other people, it was the cover picture that caught my eye (as it was meant to). HOWEVER, it was the cogent and intelligent comments here (on Amazon) that succeeded in clueing me in to a sensitively written high-brow gem of a movie, which I promptly purchased, and just finished enjoying.

Yes, Ellis' movie has the obligatory dysfunctional 'characters', and sophomoric humor, required to keep what Shakespeare called his audience's "peanut gallery" contingent entertained ... thus freeing him to tell the deeper tale to the rest of the audience in peace.

In this instance, the story revolves around an intelligent, and very introspective, young art student who, shell-shocked from breaking up with his {superficially} beautiful girlfriend, goes through an emotional recovery phase (and a severe bout of profound insomnia) in which his understandings of "beauty" (both superficial and inner), and his perception time itself, shatter and rearrange themselves in surreal fashion into a new, deeper, and more mature awareness.

{By the way, the movie title is something of a double pun - the main character, as a result of his insomnia, uses his sleepless hours to work the graveyard shift at a local supermarket, theyeby getting 'cashback' on his surplus time (which seems to drag interminably) ... also, his new love interest, the cashier in same store, asks customers if they want 'cashback' on the card they use for their purchase.}

Anyway, it's a great avante garde movie. Ellis deftly uses the combination of feminine beauty, and surreal time perception, as a sort of visual zen-koan, in order to help the viewer better empathize with the main character's attempts to reassess both concepts with his artistic mental microscope (like a microbiologist trying to study what's ailing him). If you've ever been through a near death experience, a major accident, or a particularly deep & memorable emotional experience (good or bad), you'll have a leg up on grasping the slow-motion 'train wreck' altered-state-of-awareness effect (and it's aftermanth) that often accompanies such experiences, and how they often replay themselves over and over again in your mind ... sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes timeless.

It's well done, and very enjoyable. Stars: 4 1/2.

I would not expect more from this movie: it's tragic, amazing, funny, a small chunk of "imagination", combined with true-life relationships - just a GOOD MOVIE. It's not, of course, a "family" movie, as it's intended for those ones 18+ or so, but I would recommend it to anyone, who really wants to enjoy, and relax, and think about all these small pieces of "humanity" around all of us. My strong feeling - should be more movies like this one, it's enough for me those "jaw-dropped-junk-yard-cake-into-face" movies, just see what a good movie should be. Highly recommended.

After watching this film the word that comes to mind is WOW!

As a young child I frequently had a similar fantasy myself about stopping time and going on all sorts of adventures. So after seeing this film on the shelves of Target I became rather intrigued by the story, and after doing a bit of research I purchased it.

What we have is an incredible well written film that somehow combines the painful emotions of a break up, a love story, some comedy, a little mental fantasy and even a touch of sci-fi. Unlike many other films that try to do this, Cashback succeeds with this mix rather spectacularly.

Most of us know the pain of a broken heart, and Sean Biggerstaff who plays Ben certainly manages to capture that feeling. The constant memory triggers, the lack of sleep and constant wondering where our lost love is, what they are doing. Even worse for poor Ben is that he is the cause of his own heart ache. Optimistically he realizes his mistake and comes to terms with it. He also has the good fortune of discovering new love in the form of Sharon played by the delightful Emily Fox.

About the only thing I didn't like about this film is that it seems a little slow in some parts. However it features a terrific happy ending that leaves us wondering if Ben's mental fantasies are indeed just fantasies, or are in fact reality. Remember what I said about sci-fi?

One the more pleasant surprises is Michelle Ryan from more recent fame as the new Bionic Woman playing Suzie the woman Ben leaves. Don't get your hopes boys and girls though there is plenty of female nudity in this film; Ms. Ryan keeps her clothes on. On the funny side in the opening Suzie launches in a silenced verbal tirade against poor silly Ben (breaking up with Michelle Ryan what are you on drugs?). This tirade as we discover after the DVD and in the extra features section, is every bit as caustic as it looks. Fans of the new Bionic Woman, some of whom questioned her lack of an English accent in that show can also feel rest assured about her nationality.

Word of Caution to those who are easily offended by nudity and language. There is an abundance of both in this terrific little film.

Enjoy...

Cashback
A delightful combination of a work-place hijinx and a love story, this movie uses the metaphor of stopping time for the artwork of the principal character. Well-acted and brilliantly cast, ignore the sensational cover and get into this story. Yes, there is nudity, but, for once, it actually has to do with the movie and it's plot. Not very much related to the Oscar winning short of a few years ago, this is nevertheless a well-made, fun to watch and delightful movie.