Cashback (2006)

After a painful breakup, Ben develops insomnia. To kill time, he starts working the late night shift at the local supermarket, where his artistic imagination runs wild.

Director:

Sean Ellis

Writer:

Sean Ellis

Stars:

Michelle Ryan, Sean Biggerstaff, Erica Ellis

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michelle Ryan	...	Suzy
Sean Biggerstaff	...	Ben Willis
Erica Ellis	...	Canteen Lady
Jay Bowen	...	Steve Jenkins
Shaun Evans	...	Sean Higgins
Kenneth Fahy	...	Art Class Life Model
Stan Ellis	...	Art Class Teacher
Katie Ball	...	Art Class Girl
Emilia Fox	...	Sharon Pintey
Stuart Goodwin	...	Jenkins
Celesta Hodge	...	Deer Girl in Sainsbury's
Nia Roberts	...	Woman at the Till
Michael Dixon	...	Barry Brickman
Michael Lambourne	...	Matt Stephens
Hatti Riemer	...	Old Lady at Deli Counter

Storyline

When art student Ben Willis dumps his girlfriend Suzy, he develops chronic insomnia after finding out how quickly she moved on. 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 eight-hour-shift. Ben's art is that he imagines himself stopping time. This way, he can appreciate the artistic beauty of the frozen world and the people inside it - especially Sharon, the pretty and quiet checkout girl, who perhaps holds the answer to solving the problem of Ben's insomnia.

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Plot Keywords:

insomnia | art | supermarket | night shift | time | 

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Taglines:

"Once upon a time,I wanted to know what love was.Love is there,If you want it to be.You just have to see,That it's wrapped in beauty,And hidden away between the seconds of your life.If you don't stop for a minute,You might miss it.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic nudity, sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [fr]

Country:

UK

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

9 May 2008 (UK)

Also Known As:

Belleza invaluable

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$14,878 (USA) (20 July 2007)

Gross:

$24,942 (USA) (27 July 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Left Turn Films, Lipsync Productions, Ugly Duckling Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min 90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The book Ben can be seen reading after realizing that he is suffering from insomnia is 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the football match, Jenkins is wearing a shirt with the number 4 on the back. In at least one scene during the match, the shirt has a 5 on the back instead.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ben Willis: It take approximately 500 lbs to crush a human skull. But the human emotion is a much more delicate thing. Take Suzy, my first real girl friend. My first real break-up, happening right in front of me. I never thought it was going to be similar to a car crash. I've slammed the breaks, and I'm skidding toward an emotional impact. So, is this all my fault? Me, Ben Willis. It's funny what goes through your mind at a time like this. The two and a half years we spent together. The ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Before the credits roll there's another video of Barry doing a dangerous BMX stunt. This time it works, though, and he doesn't fall flat on his face.

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Connections

References Diner (1982)

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Soundtracks

"Casta Diva"
From the opera NORMA
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Featuring Soprano Soloist Jeni Bern
Arranged and Conducted by Guy Farley
The London Metropolitan Orchestra (as London Metropolitan Orchestra)

User Reviews

"You just have to see that love is wrapped in beauty and hidden away in between the seconds of your life. If you don't stop for a minute, you might miss it"

You find the most beautiful films when you least expect it. Yesterday I went to the Sneak Preview in the local cinema and I came out happier then I've been in weeks. Cashback is an odd combination of teen comedy and romance and the best thing is that it works! The story involves around Ben, an art student. He just had a rough (literally and figurative) break-up with Suzy. Ben has problems to forget Suzy. He can't sleep anymore and is emotionally broken. To speed up the eight hours he used to sleep, he starts working night shifts at Sainsbury's. The film follows Ben's process of dealing with his broken heart, while he is working with his silly colleagues.

Effectively the film also tells the story about Ben's past which shows how his fascination with the female body began and how those things formed the way he thinks about things now. While working in the supermarket he likes to freeze time, to capture the beauty of little things, and to draw pictures of the (naked) female customers.

This film is not about sex and teen jokes as some people probably will say. It is about having a broken heart, finding new love, finding someone that is the perfect other half of you. It is about beauty. The scenes where everything but Ben is frozen and he walks around the store drawing the portraits of the women just strike the right chord. Sean Ellis did a great job to make those scenes look that perfect. It's his ode to the female body.

All I can say is that everybody should go and see this film. It's the best thing I've seen in a long, long time.