6 Feb 2012

Cashback (2006)

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  "... 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 in between the seconds of your life. If you don't stop for a minute, you might miss it." (Ben Willis, Cashback)

Cashback is one of those films that stays with you for a while after having watched it. The cast is perfect, specially Sean Biggerstaff as Ben and Emilia Fox as Sharon. Ben's thoughts about love, life and art are amazing, and his ability to stop time and pretend that everyone and everything is in a time freeze except himself, is one of the most original things I've ever seen. He's an excellent art student, and he finds in his co-worker at the supermarket, the beautiful Sharon, the muse he needed, and someone who helps him to believe in love again.

Besides the great funny and drama moments, the most interesting thing of this film it's not the story itself, but the way it's been told, and that's why this film is one of the most beautiful works of art I've ever seen. It's an ode to the art of painting and to the beauty of women. Ben says during the film: "I read once about a woman whose secret fantasy was to have an affair with an artist. She thought he would really see her. He would see every curve, every line, every indentation and love them because they were part of the beauty that made her unique". And that's exactly what he does with Sharon.

The whole idea for the film and some of its scenes are taken from a short film with the same title (Cashback, 2004) starring the same actors and also directed by Sean Ellis, that was nominated to the Academy Awards as best short film of the year. The 2006 film was nominated in some festivals too, and it was premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. The photography is stunning and mesmerizing, which is not a surprise considering that Ellis, the director, is a well-known photographer who has work with magazines such as i-D, The Face, Dazed and Confused or Vogue, and who also has realised campaigns for Nina Ricci, Dior, or Cartier. The soundtrack composed and arranged by Guy Farley is great too, and one of my favorite songs is the one that appears on the credits, the haunting song "What Else Is There?" by Röyksopp:


10 comments:

Alberto G. said...

O.O Amazing review ;)

etheria said...

I loved this film. I watched it many years back and even though I don't remember details anymore, it stayed with me, as you said, in a form of good, warm feeling stored somewhere in my mind that is activated every time I think of the film.

Kimberley Brandsma said...

Will definitely watch!

Saraiba said...

¡Quiero verla! me en las fotografias....que pintaza!

ATF said...

vaig veure que vares posar un parell d'imatges al tumblr, no la coneixia aquesta peli i me fio del teu gust i me la baixaré. encara he de veure another earth, però amb el mal temos que ha fet no l'he volgut veure, a veure si ara que ja no fa tant de fred me la pos, que abans amb aquest temporal me donava mal rollo.

què tal els exàmens? esper que haguin anat bé dear.
un petonet! :)

Marco Méndez said...

Cashback o... Travis Bickle del taxi al mini super.

A pesar de los entornos, es notable la semejanza entre el personaje de Cashback con el de Taxi Driver. Lo más parecido que he trabajado a taxista o cajero ha sido de dependiente de cibercafé. 100% identificado a las alusiones de rutina y monotonía hacia esos trabajos aburridos que alguna vez desempeñamos en la existencia. Eso si uno no es un Hijo de Papá (haciendo alusión a cierto reality show).

Cashback es más optimista al final, como una especie de versión alternativa de la película newyorkina. Circunstancialmente me inclino por una o por otra.

Arizona Baby said...

¡Mil gracias por pasarte por mi blog, Mara, y por el comentario! ¡Me has dado muchos ánimos!
Tu blog también me gusta mucho, y, bueno, el nombre es perfecto.

http://bohemiayaparte.blogspot.com/

-xxx-

Mamba Negra said...

Cómo siempre, me dejas sin habla chica ;) gracias por pasarte ^^ yo no dejo de leerte eh? :)

Anonymous said...

Me encanta el columpio asesino, y lo cierto es que en directo son muy divertidos. No he visto Cashback pero la apuntaré sin falta a la lista, no suelen fallar tus gustos! Un beso :)

Sofi Mar said...

Genial reseña :D Quiero verla ya. Muchas gracias por pasarte a mi blog y comentar.
Ame la canción. Me da escalofríos.

Que tengas bonito día. Besos, S.