Cashback Reviews

• Meditation on beauty

  
  By A35YWA2V4QHOJ3 on 2007-09-29
  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.
  
  

• Garden State meets Showgirls

  
  By A3EOVXI1VZIHUQ on 2007-07-12
  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.
  
  

• Underrated Comedy

  
  By A34D4KCP94ACJZ on 2007-08-13
  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.
  
  

• the secondary characters are more interesting than the principals

  
  By A19ZXK9HHVRV1X on 2007-09-09
  **1/2
  
  The small British film "Cashback" is a sporadically engaging, but ultimately unsatisfying rumination on art, love and the relative nature of time.
  
  The idea for the movie is, in many respects, better than the movie itself. Ben Willis (Sean Biggerstaff) is an art student whose girlfriend has just broken up with him after years together as a couple. Ben is so emotionally devastated by the rejection that he becomes virtually a dead man walking, an incurable insomniac who goes literally whole nights without sleeping. To assuage his pain and to make the time pass more quickly, he takes a job working the late night shift at a local supermarket. While there, he develops the sudden ability to make time "freeze" at will, kind of like in that old "Twilight Zone" episode, "A Kind of a Stopwatch," or the movie "Clockstoppers" (though Ben doesn't need anything as mundane as a magical time piece to accomplish the feat). Most of the movie is spent chronicling Ben's interactions with his amusingly eccentric co-workers as well as with the beautiful young cashier named Sharon (Emilia Fox) with whom he falls in love.
  
  For all its undeniable cleverness and charm, "Cashback" never really finds a way to turn its fantastical premise into anything other than an overused gimmick. Indeed, it's hard to tell what exactly Ben thinks he's accomplishing when he pauses everyone in mid action. It doesn't even make much sense within the context of the movie's own storyline, since stopping everything dead in its tracks is certainly no way to make time go FASTER, which is what Ben, in voiceover recitation, keeps telling us he wants to do.
  
  The movie is actually at its most enjoyable and authentic when it drops all the silly time-stopping shenanigans and pretentious philosophizing and simply shows us the day-to-day activities of Ben and his fellow employees at the market. One of the themes of the movie is that time moves more slowly when we are trapped in tedious jobs and activities, yet, ironically, it is those very on-the-job activities that are of most interest here. Much of the credit for that goes to the delightful performances of Stuart Goodwin, Michael Dixon and Michael Lambourne as Ben's loopy male co-workers. They are certainly more interesting as people than Sharon and even Ben himself are.
  
  Sean Ellis has written and directed the movie with a great deal of elegance and style, utilizing sophisticated "freezing" techniques, a smoothly-gliding dolly camera, and a classical music score to great effect. The pacing is often tedious, however, and we sometimes feel less like a witness to Ben's bizarre time-stopping ability than a victim of it. There were certainly times when I wished I had the power to make this movie go faster.
  
  Part of the problem may be that the material was originally made into a short in 2004, then expanded into this feature length film in 2006. That may explain the feeling we get that the movie is stretching itself further than perhaps it is able to go. Still, there's much that is good in even this elongated "Cashback," although it certainly leaves one wondering whether the shorter version might not in fact be the better way to go.
  
  

• Cheap as Chav ...

  
  By A10C5CJK1YKGV0 on 2008-02-24
  A sluggish, meat-grinder of a film that sets up the following themes:
  
  1. An interesting narrative about Insomnia: but fails badly and constantly works to redeem, or rather replay itself, as if it somehow worked the first time you saw and heard it.
  2. A tale about lost love: that never really gels or comes around or convinces you that there's nothing more in the Art School world than puppy love.
  3. Growing up as a boy in England: that doesn't ever endear itself to the viewer at all and only serves to make the film longer and not any more interesting.
  4. Working at an incredibly dull lint-ball-per-hour job: but abandons it as soon as it becomes interesting to show you some gratuitous football.
  5. An Art School Confidential plot: that again - fails like all the other Art School movies.
  6. A Tim Curry-esque (Matt) comic relief: that is only slightly realized and comes off like luke-warm weak tea on a cold day.
  7. An obscure but trendy soundtrack: that doesn't do much for the film or give it lifts where it's so badly needed but rather drags it down into murky cesspools, making you wonder: Who scored this?
  8. Character montage scenes that are as dull as they are acted.
  9. Donnie Darko-esque time warp movements that seem contrived and out of place.
  10. A poor Man's Robert Caryle / Vinnie Jones used cheaply as a catalyst to create activity within an otherwise slow moving screenplay.
  11. A "Good Lord" Great Expectations / Donnie Darko / A Life Less Ordinary style ending, that is just incredibly contrite and never really decides which one.
  
  I guess if this is what it takes to raise a Grant from The British Film Council of the Arts (or enter any endowment entity here), then to quote an old Christian Slater movie: "So Be It." I can't hate you for trying to come up and get out.
  
  I paid $9.99 for this `movie' at Target but I saw it a few days later in $4.99 bins at Wal-Maze. If you were in this film, made this film, wrote this film or distributed it - then please mail me CASH BACK. My contact info is readily accessible.
  
  The failure of this movie is trying to tell and do everything well, while never really doing one thing very good at all.
  
  This film makes me feel ashamed to listen to my old Pulp Albums now for some reason. But for the record: Jarvis Cocker rules.
  
  
  
  
• A terrific little movie...
  By AY7EXIYJ2LG5S on 2007-12-04
  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...
  
  
  
• It was good. It could have been better. But it was good.
  By A1D3XQC2DIT on 2007-08-29
  Ben Willis is an Art College student who finds himself with a lot more time on his hands after he and his girlfriend go their separate ways. Not only does he gain the time they would have spent together, but also any time normally allocated to sleep since he is now an insomniac. The end of his relationship with Suzy has left him unable to fall asleep, so at least he tries to be more productive with his nights and gets a job at a local supermarket. Time is Ben's enemy; with each ticking second he has more waking time to think about Suzy. Until he fights back. Ben begins to daydream that he can stop time, everyone and everything stops except him. In his mind he uses this time to draw and paint the people that he sees. In between his daydreaming and the hijinks of other store employees, Ben meets a girl. She works one of the registers, she might be dating one of their coworkers, and she might be the key to Ben getting his happiness (and sleep) back.
  
  I really liked the story and the idea behind this movie. I thought it was neat how the pieces fit together, or didn't fit together. It was one of the movies where just about everything comes full circle, which was entertaining.
  
  My only gripe, and it is a small one, is that Cashback failed me with its execution. I just feel like the movie could have been better, though I am not sure how. See, not much of a gripe at all. The movie was cute and enjoyable, so check it out...unless of course you might be bothered by a few-minute sequence when every woman is fully or partially naked (all in the name of art!).
  
  
  
• still makes me laugh
  By A3DQJJA31UYB3K on 2007-06-11
  this is the most charming romantic comedy in a longtime. as a first-time feature for the director, the camera work is awesome and the casting will keep you in hysterics days after you've seen the film
  
  this feature film was based around a 2006 oscar-nominated short film - the feature has its own storyline, and includes only a small section of the short film. the short film is perhaps better-remembered due to the nudity - very candidly, this is an artist's discovery of beauty in the female form, and there is no need for a buyer-beware warning label
  
  buy this and watch this with everyone you love - you will end up loving them even more afterwards!
  
  ps does anyone know why this comes up as the 13th item in the listings when you search for 'CASHBACK'?
  
  
• It gets better every time we see it
  By A224R8JBB3TFE7 on 2007-09-26
  "Cashback" is a brilliant movie. It's original, funny and very engaging. The story is great and well paced (with wonderful and unique transition shots). The acting is excellent coupled with amazing and satisfying character development; You can easily believe these are real people that you would like to meet. We just loved the plot and how it played out (with a wonderful surprise twist and satisfying ending). Very re-watchable. We can't say enough good things about this film.
  
  
• A gross injustice
  By A3B2PHHTPBV96H on 2007-11-17
  I am mainly writing this to help to correct the gross injustice of this film only receiving 4 stars at Amazon. I found it to be one of the best films I have seen in quite a long time. It is clever, but doesn't pander to the audience. Most of the actors submit nuanced performances and Sean Biggerstaff in the lead is wonderful. I love how Emilia Fox becomes more beautiful as the film progresses and the lead character begins to notice her.
  
  
• Quirky. Funny. Engaging!!
  By A56AA52NMMKYQ on 2007-11-17
  Rented this DVD not really knowing what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. A winsome tale of a young artist looking for love and self-expression through painting. His insomnia is accompanied by the ability to freeze time.
  
  Make every second count!
  
  In addition to an engaging cast and some funny situations, the music soundtrack is superb.
  
  Guarantee: if you rent "Cashback," you will NOT later be asking for your cash back!
  
  
  
• Cashback
  By A3T4YOQTKVAP5 on 2007-11-24
  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.
  
  
  
• When there is nothing left, you see the details.
  By A1Y7JKCYPRXPNW on 2008-02-07
  I am just back from living in the UK for two years. I have to say that while I did not come back to the US with an accent (darn it), I did come back with an appreciation for some British movie sensibilities.
  
  This movie is not the exploration of titillation that many may assume from its cover art or from the movies it gets grouped with (Notice what movie comes teamed up with this one in Amazon as the "buy this one too and get X discount"). The movie description gives you the main assumption. A man hits emotional bottom and finds an ability to freeze time.
  
  It's about where you end up when you feel you have screwed up in a relationship. It's about how you beat yourself up and wish you could undo what you have done. It is also about realizing that sometimes, those things you prayed to change were in fact the best things in your life.
  
  We explore these topics through the eyes of a young man with a unique appreciation of beauty. Being a young Man, that appreciation gets its focus from the female form. It allows us to see the perception of beauty through his eyes. None of us will miss the in your face beauty that gets paraded before us. But will all of us notice the unique play on beauty when it's in a rage and how ugly that can be? Or will we notice that at least one person seems to blossom into their beauty as the movie progresses?
  
  There is more than what you see on the surface of this film. It will likely leave you as happy as "Love Actually" did when it ended. Plus, it will give those that don't want to spend too much time thinking about hidden meanings plenty of shots of naughty bits.... very beautiful ones at that.
  
  But make sure and understand me here, the nudity that is presented does not feel "personal" or vulgar. It has the feeling of distance that you would get from viewing fine nude artwork at a museum. The language gets a bit rough at time, but not horribly so. So, while its definitely not for the kiddies, it does not even approach the types of concerns many parents of teenagers might have about the usual movie with nudity.
  
  I suggest taking a chance on this one. In addition, if this is your first look at distinctly British films, try some of these:
  Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)
  Hot Fuzz (Widescreen Edition)
  Shaun of the Dead
  
  
  
  
  
• You won't want your CASHBACK, if you buy this DVD.
  By A1PA4HOR1GRMA2 on 2008-01-22
  I'm the kind of guy that will always remind people to never judge a book by the cover, or in this case, a DVD by the box cover. However, this DVD is an exception to that rule of thumb. I freely admit that I bought this DVD solely because of the VERY provocative picture on the front of the box cover while I was out shopping for something new on DVD the other day. I have absolutely no regrets about that.
  
  I just finished watching the Academy Award nominated original short version of "Cashback", the feature length version, and the "Making of" feature. The original short and the feature length versions of "Cashback" are hilarious and the writing, directing, casting, cinematography, editing, and the sound were absolutely PERFECT. The "Making of" feature is funny, entertaining, and informative too.
  
  As an aspiring filmmaker, I must say that I hope to one day make a movie as good as or better than this one. I can't say anything bad about this movie at all. I highly recommend this to anyone that likes intelligent, well written, directed, cast, acted, and edited independent movies that are funny, provocative, moving, and unforgettable. This wonderful movie is about a young man in college coming of age, coming out of one intimate relationship with a young woman and then getting into an intimate relationship with a different young woman, and all of the crap that life throws at you while they're going through all of those things and everything else in between.
  
  I got lucky with the purchasing of this DVD. This is definitely a DVD that you can judge by the photo on the front of the box cover. This is one of my new favorites.
  
  
  
  Now, I have a few suggestions for anyone that is seriously considering buying a copy of this DVD:
  
  1.) After it arrives in your mailbox or on your doorstep and after you open it, when you put it in your DVD player to watch it, go to the "Special Features" section first and watch the Academy Award nominated short version of "Cashback" first.
  
  2.) Don't watch this movie with ANY kids because it is absolutely NOT appropriate for ANYONE under the age(s) of 17/18 without a parent or legal guardian present during the viewing of this movie. Yeah, this movie contains a lot of nudity and simulated semi-graphic sex and not so graphic implied male [...]. However, it is the mature adult themes in this movie that make it a VERY bad choice for viewing by any naive high school age teenagers.
  
  This movie is not as sophomoric or misogynistic as the front box cover photo implies. This is NOT a European independent "American Pie", "Accepted", "Road Trip", or "Knocked Up" kind of movie. However, if you think that your teenaged son or daughter is mature enough to understand this movie's mature adult themes and that it's okay for them to watch this DVD alone or with their friends, then disregard this warning/recommendation all together.
  
  3.) My final recommendation. Watch this movie with your phone and cellphone turned off. Eliminate any and all possible distractions while you watch this movie. That includes any preconceived notions or expectations that you may have because this movie is unique. So, I won't compare this movie to any other movies here, other than what I stated in recommendation #2 about what other DVDs this DVD is NOT at all like, because that might take something away from your viewing experience and I don't want to do that.
  
  
  
  So, buy this DVD, put it your DVD player, sit back, relax, and...enjoy the movie!
  
  
• Way off track
  By A2RTVMGJP5TO8K on 2008-04-21
  I see that this film was well liked by some viewers. I believe that this movie failed on three important levels: TV-style music, the lead actor narrated through the whole darn movie (I expect film to show a story as opposed to a book on tape that tells a story) and overall, it failed to intertain.
  
  
• Unexpected Amazingness
  By A32PA3QT98K18E on 2007-12-19
  When I first saw this, it was at a little theater in the west village. I did not know what to expect, but what I found was pretty amazing. This movie was marketed really poorly. The poster seems to show it as some kind of skin flick or something. The reality is that it's a wonderful, artistic film, with a solid plot (something big movies tend to lack) and nonstop entertainment. It moves between serious and artsy and funny, seamlessly. The sequences going back in time are very nice. To anyone who is willing to give this a shot, you will not be disappointed.
  
  
• Imaginative
  By A31K78RDPK1UKE on 2008-01-20
  I haven't seen a film that has touched my creative nerve in quite some time. Very well written and filmed. Hilariously funny with a charming cast of characters, Cash Back is also extremely witty and clever. Buy this film and watch it again and again.
  
  
• Good ending
  By A1CG6YPEVNKCAN on 2008-03-12
  This film wears you down and by the time the ending is in sight; you are willing to like most anything. So the ending is good, the last 20 minutes pretty good and the rest of the movie...just a grind. Even with the nudity in some trick situations it's a grind. And I think 3 stars is more than fair.
  
  
• Just WOW!
  By A35TC2Y70K53DE on 2008-07-11
  Out of every movie I have ever seen, this one film trumped my multimillion dollar favorites Braveheart and The Titanic. Words cannot express the artistic genius contained within this film. If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend please show this to them. Life if beautiful and we must always fight to preserve the beauty in which we enjoy every second of life. This movie helps (from a man's point of view) explain the insecurity of men like me; whom many consider the "nice guy", explain the little intricacies that many of us look at when we see such a beautiful woman in life (also what makes us nervous). English is not my first language so please excuse my errors. I loved this film and so will many others.
  
  Love
  
  Shannon
  
  
• very, very good
  By A33T6VJGXKOTN2 on 2008-08-16
  Won't go over the plot, since that's covered to a fare-thee-well in other reviews. A very good movie if you don't mind somewhat surreal love stories. Lots of reviews try to explain it in terms of other movies, but some of the references seem a bit odd to me.
  
  The 1st movie that came to mind for me after seeing this was American Beauty. I think it had a similar vibe, both with the story line (the search for female perfection)and with the cinematography. It seemed like too many reviews focused on the slacker humor (which was very well done) in their comparisons, leaving out the depth of the characters and the plot, which I found well done just because it's so generic (boy meets girl, blah, blah, blah). To make that old chestnut work takes some story-telling skill, and this movie had that in spades. Watched as a rental, but bought the DVD that night. Just wish it was out on BluRay, it would be stunning in hi-def.
  
  
  
• Creative, Fresh, and Funny... A Really Great Movie
  By A2TVAG2XX0LWIO on 2008-08-19
  Cash Back is a love story, drama, comedy that is amazingly entertaining and heartfelt because of the way it pulls the viewer into its story line, through love. This movie is a work of art in itself, from the way that you live inside the mind and heart of Ben, the main character. Throughout the movie Ben has the ability to stop time, at least in his head he does, and through this ability he is able to create his hand drawings. What makes this movie very enjoyable is that I felt the plot and the story were fully developed for each character, even though its only 1 hour and 42 minutes long. As you get to understand Ben, how he views the world through the mind of an artist and how his inspiration is created by the curves of the female body. This film is simply a refreshing reminder of what it is to love, dream and great life can be when the two come together.
  
  
• beautiful thoughtful film
  By A2I0MINIPQJ6JA on 2008-08-20
  Out of the ashes and turmoil of a relationship broken up a young man struggles to find his feet in an objectified world of women but one he faces with the utmost respect and artistic reverence.
  
  Magical properties to stop time and, accordingly, value seconds, lead to this young mans redemption beyond objectification of females to the ultimate in salvation, a mutual loving relationship.
  
  Brave focus of film in acknowledging the taudry trials of youth learning about anatomy and love yet tying these trials to the heights of human love and interrelationships...
  
  
• A delightful small film
  By A1BKXAZP3CYX2B on 2008-08-21
  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.
  
  
• Cash Back was one helleva great movie!
  By A1K31NF81TS0CO on 2008-08-27
  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!!!
  
  
• Wonderful, Original....Moments of Pure Genius !!
  By A27MOT4ZIUAKIW on 2008-09-21
  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.
  
  
• Cashback - Plot Outline
  By AME0VCSZMOIC3 on 2008-02-29
  After a painful breakup, Ben develops insomnia. To kill time, he starts working the late night shift at the local supermarket, where his artistic imagination runs wild.
  
  
• Cashback cool
  By A2FQGJBUA61E02 on 2008-03-25
  Enjoyed this movie. Saw preview on a Blockbuster Rental. I was unable to get the movie at Blockbuster so I purchased on Amazon. I enjoyed the visuals and the hypnotic soundtrack. It still had that quirky Brit flick edge as well. (The whole soccer/football match thing) But the whole idea of making yourself busy to forget someone you loved makes sense regardless of country of origin. I particularly enjoyed the Grocery Store manager. His character was really well done. Very much Michael Scott, very Office (original BBC version and US knockoff). If you like cool looking movies like Snatch , Lock Stock, Layer Cake, Fight club , you will enjoy the cinematography of this film. All in all a cute, slightly Artsy (be comfortable with some nude female human form or this aint for you) film. Perfect for the college movie snob to the older couple who like to take in the occasional independent film. The nudity is not sexual content but more artistic. This movie is not for the Romantic comedy set looking for the next Failure to Launch, sweet home Alabama etc. Also this movie doesn't take itself too seriously..no political agenda, world changing ideas etc. If this sounds like your cup of tea, Sit back, relax and take it all in. Recommended.
  
  
• Great intellectual comedy!
  By A2PXFLMB512XJU on 2008-04-15
  Deep, intellectual and humorous! Really enjoyed watching the movie. Gets you away from all the dumb funny hollywood movies.
  
  
• Sometimes love is hiding between the seconds of your life
  By A1MCZHOWIH0XW9 on 2008-05-30
  CASHBACK is one of the first movies I've seen this year that got me. I thought it would be a simple comedy and wasn't expecting much, but I digress.
  
  Ben Willis (BIGGERSTAFF) is an art student who has recently hit a rough patch in his life as he breaks up with his girlfriend. He develops one of the worst cases of insomnia and after trying everything, Willis gives up. After reading tons of books, he finally applies for a job in the local supermarket's night shift.
  
  Even doing a boring job doesn't deter Willis' creative side as he 'freezes time' as he puts it himself, and draws nude pictures of the women in the supermarket. But even during a scene which portrays full frontal and some genital shots, it's not pornographic (as I've seen numerous people name it). It's art.
  
  The entire movie is basically a piece of art, no matter what way you look at it. Biggerstaff's natural charisma, whether he's elated, or melancholic or just sketching, will always draw you in immediately.
  
  On that note, I'd like to add that I found Sean Biggerstaff (Willis) outstanding in this movie. Throughout the entire process, he shows that he's mostly 'lost' in our world. Though he didn't quite say it, the look in his eyes conveyed a lot more. It was as though he forcibly grabbed your attention and didn't allow you to look away until the very end. I very nearly clapped at the end of it. That's what it means to be a good actor.
  
  Overall, it's very unique movie that'll definitely take you by surprise and show you some introspective. It's a slow movie at times with sad moments, but also happy moments and parts where you'll be laughing hard because of the stunts Ben's co-workers pull.
  
  Bravo.
  
  
• Consistently Uplifting
  By A18MBO1U4DPY20 on 2008-06-05
  Cashback stands out because you hear the protagonist discuss each and every detail with himself which is what you hear in the form of his voice and something they usually call monologue. It made me smile to see how the character reads a lot of books following his breakup trying to travel and acquire wings or some temporary form of a "just be" existance.
  
  There are many films that assume artistic license. Some do good and some do bad. Cashback takes the whole artistic license to a level where you won't even notice just how unbelievably dreamy and awake and scientific the film is at the same time.
  
  Cashback is a bit like LITTLE CHILDREN, settles it's society scores not unlike SHOP GIRL but it is at the same time very interesting. I love the start of the film. One liberty the film-makers have taken is to actually slow the pace of the film as and when convenient. When the pace is slowed, words, opinions, thoughts, reactions, rewinds follow and it is most amazing to watch.
  
  A must see for anyone who's still reading.
  Thank you.
  
  

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