Cashback (2006)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Sean Ellis

Writer:

Sean Ellis (writer)

Release Date:

17 January 2007 (Belgium)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Sometimes love is hiding between the seconds of your life

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Art | Insomnia | Night Shift | Supermarket | Student

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Sean Biggerstaff	...	Ben Willis
Emilia Fox	...	Sharon Pintey
Shaun Evans	...	Sean Higgins
Michelle Ryan	...	Suzy
Stuart Goodwin	...	Jenkins
Michael Dixon	...	Barry Brickman
Michael Lambourne	...	Matt Stephens
Marc Pickering	...	Brian 'Kung-Fu'
Frank Hesketh	...	Young Ben Willis
Erica Ellis	...	Canteen Lady
Kenneth Fahy	...	Art Class Life Model
Stan Ellis	...	Art Class Teacher
Katie Ball	...	Art Class Girl
Celesta Hodge	...	Deer Girl in Sainsbury's
Nia Roberts	...	Woman at the Till
Hatti Riemer	...	Old Lady at Deli Counter
Kinvara Balfour	...	Shampoo / Frozen Girl 1
Cherie Nichole	...	Shampoo / Frozen Girl 2
Winnie Li	...	Betting Employee
Lene Bausager	...	Woman with Trolley
Irene Bagach	...	Frozen Beautiful Girl
Hayley-Marie Coppin	...	Swedish Student (as Hayley Marie Coppin)
Keeley Hazell	...	Frozen Girl in Sainsbury's (as Keeley Hazel)
Nadia Alkhashab	...	Frozen Girl in Sainsbury's
Christine Fuller	...	Frozen Girl in Sainsbury's
Michelle Bentley	...	Nightclub Girl
Gary Beeson	...	Young Sean
Katarina Olsson	...	Sean's Mother
Gayle Dudley	...	Natalie's Mother
Nelly Lyster-Smith	...	Young Natalie
Henrietta Bass	...	Ben's Mother (as Henrietta Bess)
Samantha Bloom	...	Mrs. Booth
Emilia Fenton	...	Tanya
Nick Hancock	...	Rory Davies
Howard Ward	...	Football Referee
Roddy Adair	...	Sainsbury's Islington Footballer
Lee Wilson	...	Sainsbury's Islington Footballer
James Smith	...	Sainsbury's Islington Footballer
Wayne Ploughman	...	Sainsbury's Islington Footballer
Gary McNulty	...	Sainsbury's Islington Footballer
Natalie Denning	...	Busty Customer
Matthew Hodgson	...	'Spread Eagle' Barman
Tree Carr	...	'Spread Eagle' Girl
Bianca Drakes	...	'Spread Eagle' Stripper
Katrine Falkenberg	...	Katrine at the Party
Hayden Jones	...	Jim the Bouncer
Janine-May Tinsley	...	Adult Natalie (as Janine May Tinsley)
Graham Ward	...	Man with Dog
Kubrick Ellis	...	Dog
Lucy Holt	...	Lucy at Proud Galleries
Daphne Guinness	...	Anna Shapiro
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Just Ardalan-Raikes	...	Time traveller (uncredited)
Martin Ballantyne	...	Strip Club Patron (uncredited)
Rebecca Calder	...	Cinema Date (uncredited)
Jared Harris	...	Alex Proud (uncredited)
Marysia Kay	...	Girl in Gallery (uncredited)
Jemi Paretas	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Sean Ellis

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sean Ellis		writer

Produced by
Lene Bausager	....	producer
Sean Ellis	....	producer
Daphne Guinness	....	executive producer
Peter Hampden	....	executive producer
Marshall Leviten	....	line producer
Winnie Li	....	associate producer
Norman Merry	....	executive producer
Vijay Thakur	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Guy Farley

Cinematography by
Angus Hudson

Film Editing by
Carlos Domeque
Scott Thomas

Production Design by
Morgan Kennedy

Art Direction by
Emma Jones

Costume Design by
Vicki Russell
Victoria Russell

Makeup Department
Anastasia Pappas	....	additional hairdresser
Emma Williams	....	additional makeup artist
Louisa Murray	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Bianca Gavin	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ori Latter	....	crowd assistant director
Sarah MacFarlane	....	additional third assistant director
Adam Morris	....	third assistant director
Steve Newton	....	first assistant director
Emily Perowne	....	trainee assistant director
Tom White	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Mark Billingham	....	prop man
Steven Blundell	....	prop man (as Steve Blundell)
Catherine Byrne	....	draughtsperson
Stuart Clarke	....	scenic artist
Peter Fentem	....	prop master (as Pete Fentem)
Owen Grundy	....	assistant art director (as Owen Gundry)
Sophie Phillips	....	prop buyer
Graham Ward	....	stand-by art director
Steven Blundell	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Paul Cotterell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Giancarlo Dellapina	....	sound recordist
Tawa K. Durowoju	....	boom operator
Jamie Gambell	....	sound recordist
Ben Greaves	....	boom operator
Sean Hannah	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Kallis Shamaris	....	sound editor
David Smithers	....	supervising sound editor
Tim Surrey	....	cable person
Rowena Wilkinson	....	foley artist

Visual Effects by
Lee Clappison	....	online film editor
James Clarke	....	visual effects
William Foxwell	....	digital lab operator: Lip Sync Post (as Will Foxwell)
Scott Goulding	....	digital lab operator
Julia Hall	....	digital effects artist
Katja Hollmann	....	associate producer: Lipsync Post (as Katja Lazare)
Alasdair MacCuish	....	digital grade producer: Lipsync Post
Adrian Oostergetel	....	digital effects artist
Kevin Phelan	....	head of post production: Lip Sync Post
Angela Rose	....	digital effects artist
Daniel Tomlinson	....	digital lab operator

Stunts
Tom Aitken	....	stunt arranger
Tom Aitken	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Kirsti Abernethy	....	focus puller
Susie Allnutt	....	unit still photographer
Natasha Back	....	additional camera trainee: second unit (as Tasha Back)
Peter Bateson	....	additional focus puller: second unit (as Pete Bateson)
Tim Battersby	....	focus puller
Sergio Bernuzzi	....	additional grip (as Sergio Benuzzi)
Jenny John Chuan	....	additional clapper loader: second unit
Alex Coverley	....	additional grip
Kevin Edland	....	electrician
Dai Evans	....	grip
Sarah Gardiner	....	focus puller: "b" camera, second unit
Dan Garlick	....	additional grip (as Dan Garlic)
Sam Garwood	....	camera operator: "b" camera, second unit
Sam Garwood	....	director of photography: second unit
Charlotte Ginsborg	....	additional clapper loader: second unit
Vron Harris	....	clapper loader: "b" camera, second unit
Adrienne Hayward	....	additional camera trainee: second unit
Nele Hecht	....	additional clapper loader: second unit
Daniel Hegarty	....	technocrane operator (as Dan Hegarty)
Tom North	....	additional grip
Toby Plaskitt	....	grip
Marina Showay	....	additional focus puller: "b" camera, second unit
David Sinfield	....	electrician
Derek Walker	....	Steadicam operator: second unit
Fran Weston	....	clapper loader
Greg Williams	....	special still photographer
Sophie Wilson	....	clapper loader

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Annabel Bonnet	....	costume stylist (as Annabel Bonnett)
Annabel Bonnet	....	costume supervisor (as Annabel Bonnett)
Rebecca Duncan	....	costume assistant (as Becky Duncan)

Editorial Department
Simon Davis	....	assistant editor
Stuart Fyvie	....	digital colorist
Jason Wheeler	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Andy Brown	....	music contractor
Will Johnstone	....	additional programmer
The London Metropolitan Orchestra	....	music performed by
Amanda Street	....	score supervisor

Transportation Department
Russell Chipz Chipping	....	driver: props (as Chips Chipping)

Other crew
James Clarke	....	digital laboratory supervisor
Kash Javaid	....	unit publicist
Kriss Landin	....	additional script supervisor
Hallam Rice-Edwards	....	production assistant
Tina Shadick	....	production accountant
Elizabeth Tremblay	....	script supervisor
Rupert Lloyd	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Bryan Adams	....	very special thanks
Rick Astley	....	very special thanks
Blaise Douglas	....	thanks
Jared Harris	....	very special thanks

Production Companies

• Left Turn Films
• Lipsync Productions
• Ugly Duckling Films

Distributors

• Atlantic Film (2007) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• CK Entertainment (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Festive Films (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Gaumont/Columbia TriStar Films (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• Golden Village Entertainment (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Magnolia Pictures (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Moonlight Films (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Vivafilm (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Brunbro Entertainment Group (2006) (Belgium) (all media)
• CK Entertainment (2008) (Japan) (DVD)
• Distribution Company (2008) (Argentina) (all media)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• HD Net (2007) (USA) (TV)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Magnolia Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Movie Bank (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Odeon (2007) (Greece) (all media)
• Shoval Film Production (2006) (Israel) (all media)
• Works UK Distribution, The (2008) (UK) (all media)

Other Companies

• Pinewood Studios  movie studio
• DNA Music  score coordination
• EuroKids & Adults International Casting and Model Agency  casting
• For Goodness Sake  catering
• Lip Sync Post  digital intermediate
• Lip Sync Post  sound design: ADR and re-recording
• Lip Sync Post  visual effects
• London Editing Machines Ltd.  editing equipment
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by

Also Known As:

Cashback (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic nudity, sexual content and language.

Runtime:

102 min | Canada:90 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | France:Unrated | Australia:MA | Netherlands:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | USA:R | Singapore:R21 | Singapore:M18 (edited version) | South Korea:18 | Finland:K-13 | Germany:12 | Japan:R-15 | Argentina:16 | UK:18 | Sweden:Btl | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Left Turn Films

Trivia:

The feature includes the 18 minute Oscar-nominated short film of the same title within its running time.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At the end of the freezed supermarket scene, when Ben pulls down the woman's top she moves her left arm away from her body.

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...
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Heat (1995)

Soundtrack:

Girl Is on My Mind

A sweet little masterpiece

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.