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05/08/08
Cashback (2007)
46 %
Reviews Counted: 46 Fresh: 21 Rotten:25 Average Rating: 5.4/10
Consensus:
An unlikable protagonist, messy editing, and gratuitous nudity might make audiences ask for their cash back.
Rated: 15
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Theatrical Release: 09-05-2008
Synopsis: When art student Ben Willis is dumped by his girlfriend Suzy, he develops insomnia. To pass the long hours of the night, he starts working the late night shift at the local supermarket. There he meets a colorful cast of characters, all of whom have their own 'art' in dealing with the boredom of an... [More]
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Sean Biggerstaff, Emilia Fox, Shaun Evans, Michelle Ryan, Stuart Goodwin
Reviews
A little too mopey and sexist for its own good. But the cast is engaging enough to keep us interested
05/08/08
A good writer starts with characters and plot and allows the themes to come naturally from the story. Sean Ellis' script for Cashback is all theme, and it's not that interesting a one to begin with.
07/28/07
The first thing one will probably respond to, after the brief rampant nudity, is the exquisite cinematography by Angus Hudson.
07/28/07
Cashback aspires to be equal parts Volkswagen ad and Nicholson Baker's The Fermata, yet compares unfavorably to both.
07/25/07
Ellis seems to believe that artists have an enlightened sense of beauty and greater access to it than common folk. And he may be right: He's clearly mastered the skill of convincing art-school chicks to take their clothes off.
07/21/07
Cashback is light, smart, and enjoyable, and it makes me eager to see what Ellis has planned for his next outing.
07/21/07
The film lags badly in the middle; the flashbacks to Ben's childhood aren't especially interesting and the lengthy soccer sequence is sheer dead weight.
07/20/07
As observers we can project our own fantasies onto Ben's, and [director] Ellis enhances this dreamy effect with low-budget ingenuity, like cleverly executing location changes in the same unbroken shot.
07/20/07
Imagine Kevin Smith with a background in poetry and painting instead of comic books and bestiality jokes, and you'll have an idea of what to expect from an exciting new filmmaker named Sean Ellis, whose terrific debut is called Cashback.
07/20/07
It's no small trick to blend fantasy, slapstick and genuine emotion, but [director] Ellis pulls it off with whimsy to spare.
07/20/07
Cashback's eccentricity holds, but Ellis and his audience would have benefited from a clearer direction and a bit more restraint.
07/20/07
Beware films with protagonists depicted as vastly more sensitive than their fellow characters. The result may be a crock like Cashback.
07/20/07
Top Critic
[Director] Ellis has rounded up all the actors for this feature adaptation but doesn't add much to the 18-minute original besides a tedious boy-meets-girl.
07/20/07
The movie is lightweight, as it should be. It doesn't get all supercharged. Ben and Sharon, despite setbacks, are delighted to be admired by such wonderful partners, and we are happy for them.
07/20/07
Top Critic
CASHBACK is a likable film that is bolstered by Ellis' terrific eye for composition.
07/20/07
...focuses on a pervert who thinks he's a romantic. The more sincere this guy gets about his leering, the more he creeps you out.
07/20/07
A flair for language both cinematic and verbal elevates an ordinary coming-of-age comedy of little substance.
07/20/07
Top CriticRelated Forums
You surely do want your cash back!!!!
by: trohen 9/10/07
by: trohen 9/10/07
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