Cashback (film)
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| Cashback | |
|---|---|
 Sean Biggerstaff as Ben in Cashback |
|
| Directed by | Sean Ellis |
| Produced by | Lene Bausager Sean Ellis |
| Written by | Sean Ellis |
| Starring | Sean Biggerstaff Emilia Fox Shaun Evans Michelle Ryan Stuart Goodwin |
| Music by | Guy Farley |
| Cinematography | Angus Hudson |
| Editing by | Carlos Domeque Scott Thomas |
| Distributed by | Gaumont |
| Release date(s) | 2007 |
| Running time | 102 min. |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Language | English / Spanish |
| Official website | |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Cashback is the name of two films directed by Sean Ellis: a 2004 short film and a 2006 feature film. Both were produced by Lene Bausager, starring Sean Biggerstaff, Michelle Ryan and Emilia Fox. Left Turn Films produced both films.
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[edit] Synopsis (2006 film)
After a painful break up with his first girlfriend Suzy, Ben, an aspiring artist, develops insomnia. To take his mind off his problem he spends his nights working at a local supermarket, where he meets colorful characters. He falls in love with his colleague Sharon.
He lets his imagination run wild. In particular, he imagines that he can stop time for others, so that he can walk around in a world that is "frozen" like in pause mode of a film. He imagines female clients standing frozen in the supermarket, so that he can undress and draw them.
We see in flashback, with Ben's voice-over explaining how he always has been impressed by the beauty of the female body, how he, as a young boy, could see a Swedish boarder naked while she was going to and coming from the shower; being Swedish she did not believe this situation required modesty. Also we see little Ben's friend Sean Higgins showing Ben his parents' adult magazines. Furthermore we see Sean paying a girl for showing him her genitals.
Sharon is Ben's date when they go to the birthday party of their boss. Ben meets Suzy who wants to continue their relationship. Ben refuses, but Sharon gets a negative impression seeing Ben with Suzy for a moment, and gets angry.
As a practical joke colleagues Barry and Matt phone him, one of them pretending to be an art gallery owner who is interested in his drawings, and an appointment is made. It turns out well: the gallery owner, seeing Ben's work, is interested, and an exhibition follows. Sharon also visits it and is impressed not only by Ben's success, but also by the many paintings portraying her; ceasing from being angry.
[edit] Reception
The short film was nominated for the 2004 Academy Award for Live Action Short Film.[1] It was expanded into a full-length feature of the same name which was released by Gaumont[2] in late 2006. It had its North American premiere on September 10, 2006, at the Toronto International Film Festival and has been screened at a number of other international festivals.
The feature film received mixed reviews, garnering a 45% ("Rotten") rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which concluded that the film is "full of unlikable characters, messy editing, and gratuitous nudity".[3] In contrast, Justin Chang of Variety described it as "slickly charming, genteelly erotic and directed with supreme polish".[4]
[edit] DVD
The DVD for the US region is now on sale, and the DVD for the European region was released in September 2007. The UK DVD release is now scheduled for September 2008. The film got a limited theatrical release in May 2008.
[edit] Cast and characters
- Sean Biggerstaff as Ben Willis, an art student
- Emilia Fox as Sharon Pintey, Ben's colleague and eventual girlfriend
- Shaun Evans as Sean Higgins, Ben's friend
- Michelle Ryan as Suzy, Ben's ex-girlfriend
- Stuart Goodwin as Jenkins, his boss
- Michael Dixon as Barry Brickman
- Michael Lambourne as Matt Stephens
- Keeley Hazell as Naked Girl
[edit] Awards (for the short)
- Best European Short Film Festival (Grand Prix)
- Chicago International Film Festival (Gold Hugo)
- Leuven International Short Film Festival (Audience Award)
- Lille International Short Film Festival (First Prize)
- Tribeca Film Festival (Best Narrative Short)
- FIKE 2005 - Évora International Short Film Festival (Audience Award)
[edit] Awards (for the feature)
- Bermuda International Film Festival (Won Jury Prize)
- San Sebastian International Film Festival (Won C.I.C.A.E Award)
[edit] References
- ^ Nominees and Winners | 78th Annual Academy Awards | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- ^ Gaumont Films: Cashback
- ^ Cashback Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Cashback Review - Read Variety's Analysis Of The Movie Cashback
[edit] See also
- Late Night Shopping, a film with similar themes
