Cashback (film)
Encyclopedia
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
and Emilia Fox
. The feature was released by Magnolia Pictures
in late 2006 and also starred Michelle Ryan
. Gaumont
and Left Turn Films produced both films.
after a painful breakup with his girlfriend, Suzy. To take his mind off of Suzy and to deal with the extra hours he has recently gained, Ben begins working at a local Sainsbury's supermarket, where he meets colourful co-workers. Among them is his colleague Sharon, with whom he soon develops a mutual crush.
As his personal means to escape the boredom inherent in the night shift, Ben lets his imagination run wild. In particular, he imagines that he can stop time so that he can walk around in a world that is "frozen" like the pause
of a film. He imagines female patrons of the supermarket stopped in time, allowing him to undress and draw them. Finally the ability to stop time becomes real.
A series of flashbacks occur with each progression of the plot, accompanied by Ben's narration and an examination of the effect the situation had had upon him. He explains how he always has been impressed by the beauty of the female body: how he, as a young boy, witnessed a Swedish boarder (played by Hayley-Marie Coppin
) walk naked as she was coming from the shower to her room. (We are told that, being Swedish, she did not believe this situation required modesty.) Another flashback presents the young Ben and his best friend Sean Higgins sharing Sean's discovery of his parents' adult magazines as well as Sean paying a neighbourhood girl fifty pence to show him, and all the neighbourhood boys, her genitals.
Ben's boss recruits the staff for a weekend football game and, after an embarrassing defeat, Ben freezes time again, this time he discovers that he is not alone when he sees a mysterious stranger who is able to move inside the frozen world as he can.
When Ben's boss, Jenkins, throws a party to honour his own birthday and as a consolation for their embarrassing loss at soccer, Sharon asks Ben to be her date, to which he eagerly but hesitantly agrees. While there, Ben is surprised to encounter his ex-girlfriend Suzy, who later manages to catch Ben alone; she implores him to try their relationship again. Ben refuses her advance; but, as he is rebuffing her offer, she kisses him just as Sharon witnesses from afar. Having seen only this part of the interaction and unaware of the circumstances surrounding it, Sharon becomes angry and promptly leaves the party. Ben realizes Sharon has seen the kiss, and he seeks to explain the events to her back at her apartment. There he experiences a confrontation similar to the breakup seen in the beginning of the film. He believes that his mistake cannot be corrected, and that, though he can stop time, he cannot reverse it. Sharon henceforth does not show up to work at the supermarket.
As a practical joke
, colleagues Barry and Matt phone Ben, and Matt pretends to be an art gallery owner who has seen some of and is interested in Ben's drawings and schedules an appointment at which Ben can present more drawings for evaluation. When Ben arrives at the gallery and speaks to the owner, he instantly discovers he's been had. As Ben is about to leave in defeat, the gallery owner sees Ben's work and becomes interested and decides to hold an exhibition showcasing Ben's drawings.
Sharon receives an invitation to the exhibition and visits it. Walking through the gallery, she cannot help but notice that Ben has portrayed her in most of the pieces. Her previous feelings of anger melt away as she realizes his devoted feelings toward her and how his artists' perception can see her from many aspects. The finale occurs as Ben shares his ability to stop time with her, and the two are no longer under the grip of time, but free to be together in between the moments.
The feature film uses an original score composed by Guy Farley including one piece, "Frozen" which featured on the Classic FM
album, "The Quiet Room (album)" in July 2006.
. After the nomination, it was a popular download from iTunes (US).
The feature had its North American premiere on September 10, 2006, at the Toronto International Film Festival
. It was later screened at a number of other international festivals. The film got a limited theatrical release in the US on 17 July 2007 and in the UK May 2008.
Though it won two international awards, the feature film received mixed reviews from the critics, garnering a 45% ("Rotten") rating on Rotten Tomatoes
, which concluded that the film is "full of unlikable characters, messy editing, and gratuitous nudity". In contrast, Justin Chang of Variety
described it as "slickly charming, gently erotic and directed with supreme polish".
Sean Ellis
Sean Ellis is British film director, writer, and producer. He is best known for his films Cashback and The Broken .- Career :...
: a 2004 short film and a 2006 feature film. Both were produced by Lene Bausager, starring Sean Biggerstaff
Sean Biggerstaff
Sean Biggerstaff is a Scottish actor best known for playing Oliver Wood in the Harry Potter film series.-Life and career:Biggerstaff was born in Glasgow, Scotland, growing up with his parents in Maryhill...
and Emilia Fox
Emilia Fox
Emilia Rose Elizabeth Fox is an award-winning English actress, known for her role as Dr. Nikki Alexander on BBC crime drama Silent Witness, having joined the cast in 2004 following the departure of Amanda Burton. She also appears as Morgause in the BBC's Merlin beginning in the programme's second...
. The feature was released by Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures is an American film distributor, and is a holding of 2929 Entertainment, owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban. Magnolia was formed in 2001 by Bill Banowsky and Eamonn Bowles, and specializes in both foreign and independent films....
in late 2006 and also starred Michelle Ryan
Michelle Ryan
Michelle Claire Ryan is an English actress.She is best known for portraying the role of Zoe Slater on BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2007, she starred in the short lived American television series Bionic Woman...
. Gaumont
Gaumont British
Gaumont-British Picture Corporation was the British arm of the French film company Gaumont. The company became independent of its French parent in 1922, when Isidore Ostrer acquired control of Gaumont-British....
and Left Turn Films produced both films.
2006 feature film
Ben, an aspiring artist, develops insomniaInsomnia
Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions:...
after a painful breakup with his girlfriend, Suzy. To take his mind off of Suzy and to deal with the extra hours he has recently gained, Ben begins working at a local Sainsbury's supermarket, where he meets colourful co-workers. Among them is his colleague Sharon, with whom he soon develops a mutual crush.
As his personal means to escape the boredom inherent in the night shift, Ben lets his imagination run wild. In particular, he imagines that he can stop time so that he can walk around in a world that is "frozen" like the pause
Pause
Pause may refer to a rest, hesitation, or temporary stop.Examples:* Fermata, a musical pause of indefinite duration* Pause key, the Pause/Break key on computer keyboards...
of a film. He imagines female patrons of the supermarket stopped in time, allowing him to undress and draw them. Finally the ability to stop time becomes real.
A series of flashbacks occur with each progression of the plot, accompanied by Ben's narration and an examination of the effect the situation had had upon him. He explains how he always has been impressed by the beauty of the female body: how he, as a young boy, witnessed a Swedish boarder (played by Hayley-Marie Coppin
Hayley-Marie Coppin
Hayley-Marie Coppin is an English glamour model from Essex, England known for her topless and nude modelling as well as softcore pornography. Hayley-Marie began her modelling career in 2003 with Page 3 appearances in The Sun and The Daily Star...
) walk naked as she was coming from the shower to her room. (We are told that, being Swedish, she did not believe this situation required modesty.) Another flashback presents the young Ben and his best friend Sean Higgins sharing Sean's discovery of his parents' adult magazines as well as Sean paying a neighbourhood girl fifty pence to show him, and all the neighbourhood boys, her genitals.
Ben's boss recruits the staff for a weekend football game and, after an embarrassing defeat, Ben freezes time again, this time he discovers that he is not alone when he sees a mysterious stranger who is able to move inside the frozen world as he can.
When Ben's boss, Jenkins, throws a party to honour his own birthday and as a consolation for their embarrassing loss at soccer, Sharon asks Ben to be her date, to which he eagerly but hesitantly agrees. While there, Ben is surprised to encounter his ex-girlfriend Suzy, who later manages to catch Ben alone; she implores him to try their relationship again. Ben refuses her advance; but, as he is rebuffing her offer, she kisses him just as Sharon witnesses from afar. Having seen only this part of the interaction and unaware of the circumstances surrounding it, Sharon becomes angry and promptly leaves the party. Ben realizes Sharon has seen the kiss, and he seeks to explain the events to her back at her apartment. There he experiences a confrontation similar to the breakup seen in the beginning of the film. He believes that his mistake cannot be corrected, and that, though he can stop time, he cannot reverse it. Sharon henceforth does not show up to work at the supermarket.
As a practical joke
Practical joke
A practical joke is a mischievous trick played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being fooled into handing over money or...
, colleagues Barry and Matt phone Ben, and Matt pretends to be an art gallery owner who has seen some of and is interested in Ben's drawings and schedules an appointment at which Ben can present more drawings for evaluation. When Ben arrives at the gallery and speaks to the owner, he instantly discovers he's been had. As Ben is about to leave in defeat, the gallery owner sees Ben's work and becomes interested and decides to hold an exhibition showcasing Ben's drawings.
Sharon receives an invitation to the exhibition and visits it. Walking through the gallery, she cannot help but notice that Ben has portrayed her in most of the pieces. Her previous feelings of anger melt away as she realizes his devoted feelings toward her and how his artists' perception can see her from many aspects. The finale occurs as Ben shares his ability to stop time with her, and the two are no longer under the grip of time, but free to be together in between the moments.
2004 short film
The feature film incorporates virtually the entire short film which focused on the fantasy elements seen in the feature. This includes the sequence in the supermarket where Ben imagines he has frozen patrons at the store, walks around them and draws them.Production
The feature film was produced more than a year after the short was completed. Following a decision in December 2005 to proceed with the feature, Ellis completed the expanded script in seven days. After getting commitments from his cast in March he secured financing and the film went into production in May. This schedule was exceedingly condensed by modern film making standards. As all of the key players were available to appear in the feature, it was possible to incorporate the original short virtually without change.The feature film uses an original score composed by Guy Farley including one piece, "Frozen" which featured on the Classic FM
Classic FM (UK)
Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:...
album, "The Quiet Room (album)" in July 2006.
Reception
The short film won 14 awards at international film festivals and was nominated for the 2006 Academy Award for Live Action Short FilmAcademy Award for Live Action Short Film
This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974. For the three preceding years it was known as "Short Subjects, Live Action Films." The term "Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects" was used from 1957 until 1970. From 1936 until 1956 there were two separate...
. After the nomination, it was a popular download from iTunes (US).
The feature had its North American premiere on September 10, 2006, at the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
. It was later screened at a number of other international festivals. The film got a limited theatrical release in the US on 17 July 2007 and in the UK May 2008.
Though it won two international awards, the feature film received mixed reviews from the critics, garnering a 45% ("Rotten") rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, which concluded that the film is "full of unlikable characters, messy editing, and gratuitous nudity". In contrast, Justin Chang of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
described it as "slickly charming, gently erotic and directed with supreme polish".
DVD
The DVD for the European region was released in September 2007. The UK DVD was released in September 2008.Cast
- Sean BiggerstaffSean BiggerstaffSean Biggerstaff is a Scottish actor best known for playing Oliver Wood in the Harry Potter film series.-Life and career:Biggerstaff was born in Glasgow, Scotland, growing up with his parents in Maryhill...
as Ben Willis, an art student - Emilia FoxEmilia FoxEmilia Rose Elizabeth Fox is an award-winning English actress, known for her role as Dr. Nikki Alexander on BBC crime drama Silent Witness, having joined the cast in 2004 following the departure of Amanda Burton. She also appears as Morgause in the BBC's Merlin beginning in the programme's second...
as Sharon Pintey, Ben's colleague - Shaun EvansShaun EvansShaun Evans is an English actor.Evans completed a course with the National Youth Theatre before relocating to London at the age of eighteen to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His first major role was that of gay French teacher John Paul Keating in the Channel 4 comedy-drama...
as Sean Higgins, Ben's friend - Michelle RyanMichelle RyanMichelle Claire Ryan is an English actress.She is best known for portraying the role of Zoe Slater on BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2007, she starred in the short lived American television series Bionic Woman...
as Suzy, Ben's ex-girlfriend - Stuart Goodwin as Jenkins, his boss
- Michael Dixon as Barry Brickman
- Michael Lambourne as Matt Stephens
- Gayle Dudley as Natalie's Mum
- Marc PickeringMarc PickeringMarc Pickering is an English stage, film and television actor who appeared in Sleepy Hollow and Calendar Girls.-Biography:Pickering was first attracted to acting aged 8 when he saw an audition sign for The Sound of Music and said to his father "I wouldn't mind doing that". Although he did not get...
as Brian - Keeley HazellKeeley HazellKeeley Rebecca M. Hazell is an English former Page 3 Girl and glamour model.-Early life:Hazell was born in Lewisham, grew up in Grove Park, and attended the Ravensbourne School in Bromley...
as Frozen Girl in Sainsbury's - Jared HarrisJared HarrisJared Francis Harris is a British character actor, well known for playing the obnoxious Mac McGrath in the Adam Sandler film Mr. Deeds, and for his portrayal of Lane Pryce on the AMC series Mad Men.- Personal life :...
as Alex Proud
Awards (for the short)
- Best European Short Film Festival (Grand Prix)
- Chicago International Film FestivalChicago International Film FestivalThe Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
(Gold Hugo) - Leuven International Short Film Festival (Audience Award)
- Lille International Short Film Festival (First Prize)
- Tribeca Film FestivalTribeca Film FestivalThe Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
(Best Narrative Short) - FIKE 2005 - Évora International Short Film Festival (Audience Award)
Awards (for the feature)
- Bermuda International Film Festival (Won Jury Prize)
- San Sebastian International Film Festival (Won C.I.C.A.E Award)