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Cashback | 
 enlarge | Director: Sean Ellis
Actors: Sean Biggerstaff, Emilia Fox, Shaun Evans, Michelle Ryan, Stuart Goodwin
Studio: Magnolia
Category: Movie
Buy New: $2.99
Rating:  43 reviews
Sales Rank: 103
Genre: Art House
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: Video On Demand
Running Time: 103 Minutes
ASIN: B001B5AY0O
Theatrical Release Date: January 1, 2006
Release Date: October 7, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Synopsis:
A young insomniac attempts to cope with his sleepless nights by taking a job at a local supermarket, only to discover that he possesses a curious coping mechanism in the debut feature from Academy-Award nominated filmmaker Sean Ellis. Ben (Sean Biggerstaff) has recently been dumped by his girlfriend, and in his grief he has lost his ability to sleep through the night. When Ben takes a job at the supermarket and makes the acquaintance of an odd collection of individuals, including silly slackers Barry (Michael Dixon) and Matt (Michael Lambourne) and aspiring kung fu master Brian (Marc Pickering), he begins to find his imagination taking flight in a most unusual manner. It seems that Ben has the ability to literally stop time, a talent that allows him to take pause, traverse the supermarket aisles, and ponder both his own life and the existence of the customers who stand frozen and completely unaware of his presence. As much a dreamer as Ben may be, however, his willingness to maintain his connection to the tangible, if slightly antiseptic, world he currently inhabits soon finds the wistful dreamer forming a close connection with disarmingly straightforward checkout girl Emily (Emilia Fox), whose solid ties to reality serve to offer a healthy contrast to the fantasy-prone insomniac's surreal form of escapism. |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 38 more reviews...
 So-So Film January 2, 2009
Charles Gilkey (Bakersfield, CA, USA)
I bought this DVD because of all the rave reviews, but unfortunately I can't give it an equally great review. I thought the original movie short which was also included on the DVD was very good, but the full length movie version of the short seemed labored. Many scenes (such as the soccer game) were added only to increase the length of the short film so it would be a full length movie. On a brighter note, the special effects were very good.
 delightfully charming December 29, 2008
Joseph L. Kolb (harris, mn USA)
this is a delightfully charming dvd with great philosophical thought and content. about an art student who can't sleep and decides to work at an all night grocery store. his dialogues, fantasies, and interactions are great. wonderfully written and very nicely shot. i highly recommend this dvd if you enjoy movies about relationships. this goes far beyond the mindless, childish, relationship comedies that come out in droves at theaters. yet people buy tickets to that junk while gems like this go unnoticed.
Quriky and artsy December 26, 2008
Matt (Boston, MA USA)
This British short film handles the subject of dead-end jobs, the truth about relationships, and the beauty of the human form with taste and humor. An extended version of a short film, the movie never feels dull or dragging, which is an accomplishment in and of itself.
Thousands cheered--WHEN IT WAS OVER December 24, 2008
Matthew G. Sherwin
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Cashback is one of the weakest romantic comedies I have ever seen. The acting is just fair. The plot does manage to move along despite the fact that the actors weren't given much of a script to work with. The cinematography is also just average--except in the scene when the young artist Ben floats from a payphone to his bed. In short, this is a light, fluffy film that nobody should take seriously even if they like it.
The action begins when a rather sensitive young artist, Ben Willis (Sean Biggerstaff), suffers a painful breakup with his girlfriend of over two years, Suzy (Michelle Ryan). Ben is so upset that he develops a very bad case of insomnia that leaves him unable to sleep for several weeks. Ben eventually takes a job as a night shift worker at a local supermarket to do something productive at night. It is at the supermarket that Ben meets and becomes enchanted by the lovely young checkout girl named Sharon Pintey, who is actually played rather well by Emilia Fox.
Nevertheless, Ben is shy and it takes him an entirely whopping four weeks from the time he gets dumped by Suzy to the time he starts to date Sharon. Ben, the poor guy that he is, just can't seem to take two steps or even put his underwear on right unless he has a girlfriend NOW. He also begins to imagine that he can stop time so that he is the only person who can move about somewhat secretly--where will this lead him?
Other complications soon develop. Ben's boss at the supermarket throws a party; and of course Ben and the rest of the night shift staff have to attend. What will Ben do when he arrives at the party with Sharon as his date--only to see that Suzy is now steadily dating his boss's younger brother? How will Sharon react to Suzy approaching Ben at the party? How does Sharon figure into the soccer match that Ben and the guys from the supermarket play against an opposing team? No plot spoilers here, folks--if you like this sort of stuff, watch the movie and find out!
The DVD comes with a short version of this film; I actually recommend you watch the short instead of the feature length film.
Overall, Cashback just can't avoid being a day late and a dollar short (no financial pun intended). If you like romantic comedies then you may want to give this one a try. I, however, put this one on my list of forgettable films that try to be good but just don't make it.
Two stars--one star for a couple of laughs and a second star for a good performance by Emilia Fox as Ben's new girlfriend Sharon.
 "Clerks" meets "American Beauty." November 26, 2008
Nick Benson (Fort Collins, Colorado United States)
I've often said that American Beauty is the first foreign film to be made in the US, but now I digress...
Cashback is a pleasant little movie that starts sad and slow. It gets interesting when the main character takes a night shift job in a grocery store to cure his insomnia brought on by a break-up. It is in the store that we are served some random comedy, introspection and some interesting nudity.
Visually there's much to enjoy, and in spite of several directorial faux pas' it really does work.
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