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Bookmark this pageCashback (2006)
Director: Sean Ellis
Movie review
From Time Out London
Ben Willis (Sean Biggerstaff) appreciates beauty. So much so that he can freeze time, strip beautiful strangers naked and ‘appreciate’ them at his leisure. But Ben’s voyeuristic passion is not an invasion of privacy, because he is an artist and therefore capable of feeling, seeing and, yes, appreciating women more vividly than the rest of us.Expanded from his Oscar-nominated short, fashion photographer Sean Ellis’s debut feature, ‘Cashback’, is a creepy, furtive little film swimming in shallow visual trickery. The episodic script employs so much voiceover that it feels like a DVD commentary (the screenwriters’ axiom, ‘Show, don’t tell’ means nothing to Ellis), and the whole movie is laughably out of touch: this is a world where the hero works in the Whitechapel Sainsbury’s and all his colleagues are white; where perfectly sculpted women strip for change in East End pubs. A deeply discomfiting experience.
Author: Tom Huddleston
Time Out London Issue 1968, May 8-14, 2008
User reviews of this film
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- Shaun said...
- Posted on Dec 16 2011 11:15 Did the critic watch the same film as everyone else ? or have some kind of grudge against the director ?. It's clearly not a masterpiece and it's littered with cliches. But the pervy voyerism is kept pretty brief and does not actually represent the main thread of the firm. I have to say I enjoyed this film, it made me laugh out loud and I wanted to get to know the characters. It's not a blockbuster, it deals with the themes of time, loss and beauty in a satisfying way. Give it a go, it you don't mind the gentle pace then I suspect you might enjoy it.
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- Ian Hall said...
- Posted on Jan 14 2010 08:51 A fantastic movie. Couldn't disagree more with the reviewer
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- Paul said...
- Posted on Jan 11 2009 20:40 I thoroughly enjoyed this film and was completely engrossed. Charming, romantic and at times hilarious. A fantastic example of British cinema that I can't get enough of. I couldn't disagree with the Timeout review more!
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- Baba said...
- Posted on Nov 29 2008 11:09 A genuinley charming and lovingly crafted film that made a refreshing change from the usual plethra of pompus blockbuster offerings. Nice one
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- Tony said...
- Posted on Jul 08 2008 12:19 Watched this movie last night and really enjoyed it! Reviewer has no idea.
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- jason said...
- Posted on May 13 2008 19:01 this was a crap filim
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- Sim said...
- Posted on May 12 2008 12:18 Do not agree with the critic as I found this to be an erotic, funny and sweet film with a storyline that kept my attention. Suprised S/bury's put their name to it as the boss was portrayed as a lazy stereotype
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- Emily said...
- Posted on May 07 2008 17:17 Clearly this crtic has completely missed the point of the film and seems to have a deep chip on the old shoulder! The film is beautifully shot, extremely visual and Ellis manages to combine this 'artsy' side of the film seamlessly with some great moments of slapstick humour. The film is about fantasy and a male perception of female beauty and as such is exempt from the 'political correctness' that Tom seems so concerned about. A great, funny and touching British comedy! The cast gel together fantastically and Stuart Goodwin is comic genius!
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- mattie said...
- Posted on Feb 19 2008 10:10 sweet and extremely funny.. I saw this with my boyfriend on DVD and we were laughing throughout. Still can't understand why it didn't make our local cinema
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- v said...
- Posted on Jan 07 2008 17:16 this film is a wonderfully charming romantic comedy. critics rave on about the nudity - i won't bother asking why. the characters are provokingly hilarious. watch this with a loved-one!
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- kai said...
- Posted on Jan 03 2008 18:10 this movie is awesome.. you will most certainly NOT ask for your cashback once you've seen this.. why aren't there more movies like this being released today?
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Cast & crew
Director: Sean Ellis
Cast: Emilia Fox, Michelle Ryan, Sean Biggerstaff, Shaun Evans full cast
Rated: 15
Duration: 101 mins
UK Release: May 9 2008
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