I suppose that it’s high time that I admit that I in fact enjoy European cinema, though mostly the films that come from the United Kingdom and surrounding region. I’m not just talking about something like Monty Python and the Holy Grail, though I do enjoy that film quite a bit, but there are many other films that I find myself drawn into and very quickly. Many have a certain quality, a unique approach, which is unlike other films out there.

Cashback actually has sat in my review pile for a few weeks now, something that I have to admit I wasn’t necessarily intrigued in seeing. However, there are times when I need something beyond anime and Asian cinema to watch, and Cashback managed to become on of those graveyard shift, slow night views that quickly turned pleasant.

Originally Sean Ellis shot Cashback as a short in 2004, and then turned the concept into a full-length film. Much of the film is narrated by the main character, Ben Willis (Sean Biggerstaff who was also in two of the Harry Potter films.) We begin by seeing the end of a relationship as Ben and his girlfriend break up, and he’s having a rough time dealing with it. He has developed insomnia and in order to find something, anything to do, he takes a job at a local supermarket. It is in the nigh at the store where the art student side of Ben comes out. To pass the time, he imagines life around him frozen, giving him the opportunity to enjoy live subjects in a state of suspended animation so he can sketch them, in his dream world at least. In the midst of his confusion and agony, Ben fins himself becoming more and more attracted to his fellow co-worker Sharon Pintey (Emilia Fox) and it seems that she may be enough to break the spell of insomnia.

Sean Ellis shows his brilliance as a director with this film, and almost every moment, every sequence, and every bit of dialog becomes a work of art. There are very few films that I have seen where having the main character narrate works, the two that come to mind are GoodFellas and Trainspotting, and Cashback is definitely in the same league when it comes to narrative as what those two movies are. But it’s more than just this that makes the movie work.

While telling his story, Ben often reflects on his youth and what has attracted him to the beauty of the female form, something that has truly inspired his artwork. This is where we meet Sean Higgins (Shaun Evans) who has remained his friend since the two were in primary school. Here we see that side of young boys that I think any male has gone through; the discovery of pornography, the first actual, physical view at a naked woman, the girl down the street who will show you the things you’ve only seen in magazines. Okay, I didn’t have that as a youth, but many of the other things, I can relate to.

Cashback often uses flashbacks to illustrate Ben’s point, but there is yet another element that works in the movies favor. We see the world of Ben’s frozen dream world, and here Ben moves within this temporarily statuesque realm freely while everything remains in place. This could be a rather bland visual in most cases, but Ellis approaches it with a touch of class and seeing something as simple as a ball suspended in mid-air really can say volumes about the scene. These become some of the best moments in Cashback, and they can become emotional moments as well that help the story and have us understanding Ben almost all too well. His story becomes one that we want to hear, and we truly do want to see how things turn out.

There are fantastic bits of humor as well that break up the more sullen moments found in Cashback, and they can range to the type that have to snickering, to some that are uproariously hilarious. Sean’s memory of dates at the movie theater for example ends in a brilliant moment of trying to score with the ladies. It’s something just better seen rather than explained, though it does involve a bag of popcorn and a male organ. Ellis perfectly paced out the comedy with the surreal and the dramatic, so Cashback never grows old or stale, but instead is fresh and interesting, and the films flows in such a way that a variety of emotions are sparked, particularly when we find Ben achieving success for the one thing that is he good at, though it was all thanks to a practical joke.

As I wrote previously, Cashback was originally a short film, and as a bonus feature, this has been included. The short was nominated for an Academy Award, though lost to West Bank Story. What is found in the short is actually what’s found within the movie itself, but it is easy to see how the idea progress and expanded into the full-length feature that it became and with any luck, Cashback will make it back onto the Academy Award list once again as it has managed to find its way into theaters in this incarnation. There is also a short making that further explores the film and its creation.

Cashback is one of those exceptional pieces of cinema that is able to hold your attention, spark a great deal of curiosity, and becomes a piece of art come to life in its more pure form. Sean Ellis has crafted a magnificent piece of celluloid mastery that isn’t seen often enough in the film industry, and thankfully isn’t otherwise it would become too common. Cashback is a film for anyone who can appreciate good film making, excellent screenwriting, and characters that are fantastically portrayed and has easily made its way onto my list of favorite films that extend outside the norm that I watch.

-mike-