Cashback

Even though British cinematography is closer to Hollywood than any other (European) one, here's a fine example how a clever narration and fantastic cinematography can make all the difference (between this movie and some average rom-com - "Down to You" and "She's All That" first come to mind). Since "Playing by Heart" thought us that "Talking about love is like dancing about architecture." this movie tries to add an extensive visual layer to the story and it does it rather successfully. Some might find this movie to be pretentious and full of "shallow philosophizing" and "excessive nudity", but these are absurd statements. The thing that comes across is that this movie never takes itself too seriously and this is it's strong point. You are there to watch and enjoy and if you pick up something "meaningful" out of the entire babbling of the main character, good for you. If not, you'll still be happy just for all the eye candy presented to you. A win-win. And that's always good in my book.

Well written, well acted, well shot, interesting plot, thoughtful, and several beautiful women in various stages of dress; what more could a man want from a serious film.

I enjoyed this film overall about a coming of age. There were enough laughs to call this a comedy, but it was more than just that. I found Ben's "powers" to be interesting without suspending too much reality. I thought that the acting by Sean Biggerstaff to be very good. Nice to see him stepping out of Harry Potter and do well. The cast was very solid.

Overall, a good solid B- for this flick.

Our hero is a dorky art student, newly and painfully broken up with his girlfriend, attempting to find something to fill his sleepless nights. He goes to work at a grocery store, where his imagination and eccentric coworkers help him through the breakup and put a little romance back into his life.

There is some artistic nudity, where our protagonist sketches various men and women in the buff; none of it seems gratuitous, it's just one more part of the film. I'm a big fan of artistic nudity, although I have to admit I've never been able to get chicks to strip down in the supermarket as they do in this film. It's a talent, certainly, that every man could use.

Overall, it's a slightly offbeat romantic comedy of the sort we could use more of. Not formulaic, not predictable, but enjoyable and entertaining. I watched it with my girlfriend, who refused to pose artistically afterwards, but you can't have everything. I've noticed that romantic movies don't necessarily translate into romantic activities for the people watching them; there should be a category of movies that does so, although I don't know what it would be.

All in all, it's a good date movie, good couch movie, just a good movie to watch when you're in the mood for something lighthearted and quirky.

There are few films that truly cause the minds of its viewers to wander and transcend from one thought to another. This film inspired me to take a second to think about what a second really is and to cherish moments for what they are. Its a breath of fresh air just waiting to be taken in and surely those with intellect just waiting to be toyed with will surely agree. Being a citizen of the United States, I am rarely exposed to films that contain intelligent dialogue and inspiring acting. Unfortunately my country is filled with bumbling fools who appreciate things exploding and pointless violence more than a beautiful story. Alas, films such as this one remind me that there is still hope in this dreary world and for that i am grateful.

I attended the world premiere of "Cashback" at the Toronto International Film Festival. I walked out in a daze. I had a feeling I'd seen something special, that moment when you have to pause to take a breath and reflect on what you've experienced. I still had about 20 films to go at the time, and "Cashback" raised the bar and became the benchmark against which all the others would have to be compared. As it turned out, nothing came close. Of the 30 plus films I saw that week, "Cashback" tops the list.

Literally built around the short film of the same name which screened at festivals in 2004, triple threat writer/director/producer Sean Ellis did something ingenious. Rather than take his 20 minute piece and expand it to fill 90 minutes, he created a new Act One and Act Three to bookend a reworking of the original short in the center. And he pulled it off with a tour de force of light and sound. The result is an eerie, compelling twist on the classic Outer Limits episode where time stops while the protagonist weaves in and out of the frozen characters in another dimension. It may sound like sci-fi, but this is a sweet romantic comedy whose storyline is among the most original I've ever seen on screen. The concept is brilliant and the result magnificent.

The look is lush, cinematography by Angus Hudson breathtaking, and "Cashback" features an appropriately sweet score. They combine to give this low budget project a big movie feel, destined for the wide audience it deserves.

Most of all, I believe "Cashback" is the vehicle which will introduce newcomer Sean Biggerstaff (Oliver Wood of "Harry Potter") to the world. His star tun in this film as protagonist Ben Willis left me speechless. The camera loves him, and he is on screen virtually from opening to closing credits. This film is his to make or break. It rests on his shoulders, and he owns the material.

As they say, you'll laugh, you'll cry, and I walked out with a tear in my eye and a smile on my face. And no other film I saw at the Toronto Film Festival did that to me. "Cashback" is a sweet little masterpiece.