Overview
Cashback is a British film which came out in 2006. Its writer and director is Sean Ellis. The film originated from a short and award-winning film which then turned into a feature film. Seamlessly intertwining romance, reflection, and a dash of magical realism, Cashback’s artistic and delicate approach paired with strong visuals focuses on healing, time, and creativity.
The main character in the film retaliates the pain of a significant breakup, Ben Willis. He, like the majority of the population, views life through a mundane scope of reality. He contemplates on love and time while performing monotonous tasks during night shifts at a supermarket. Spending his nights in the realm of his humor and charm, Cashback, pushes the viewer to understand the psyche of a wounded soul trying to grasp a new perception of life after loss.
Plot Summary
The protagonist, Ben Willis, is a 25 year old art student with a calm and observative demeanor. The film starts with Ben and his girlfriend, Suzy, in a romantic relationship which then developed into a breakup in which Ben was heartbroken. The breakup took a significant emotional toll with the consequence that he was suffering from insomnia. During the night, he was unable to sleep, and the long hours of quiet time surrounded him.
To occupy this newly available period of his life, he takes a position for the night shift at a supermarket close to his home. There, he encounters a series of fascinating colleagues, all of whom have their own peculiarities, aspirations, and methods of occupying time. The setting during the night, becomes a backdrop for the recollections and introspections of the Ben, as well as, the nurturing of new relationships and unforeseen associations.
As he attempts to unpack his emotions, Ben, to his surprise, learns about a special gift he possesses—he is capable of halting time. During the periods of time Ben is able to stop, he is also able to investigate and observe the surrounding he is in, and out of. His favorite activities during this period is to draw whatever fascinates him. The moon, for instance, is his favorite. His favorite images to capture on paper are people in the streets, whom the Ben. At every second the Ben is able to stop time, people doing mid-movements are his favorite. The expressions are saved in the eyes, and the light that surrounds them is captured beautifully. Those moments are never relived again and are the basis of his impressive talent and art.
As Ben contemplates on the moments of his life ruined, he poignantly widens the distance currently existing between him and Sharon – a gentle, soft spoken teammate at the self-service check out. With the peaceful acceptance of the distance, this new relationship that Ben is forming with Sharon unlike all his previous ones, comes with no hassle. Their bond flourishes way before daytime breaks and nights end just as Ben starts to visualize new possibilities.
With the deft hand of the filmmaker, the last scene, whlte serene music plays as we see Ben poised, pencil in hand, drawing the horizon. Thoughts of bygone days where he lost pieces of himself blend in the serene music. He has rediscovered love, the peace with himself is palpable, and the bitterness is replaced with hope. He has crafted trouts, discovering the alchemy of creating. He also closed the loop with Suzy, the ex girlfriend whose very fleeing ignited his the transformation. He dares to dream and in doing so, he has shattered the fabric of his past self.
Characterial Edition
Ben Willis (Sean Biggerstaff) – An art student losing sleep and heart stuck in a never-ending spiral. He embraces his heartaches with the wings of his imagination. It is the day to day heartaches that he learns to love and at the same time, learns how to grow from self-realisation.
Sharon Pintey (Emilia Fox) – An apologetic stranger that emerges as Ben’s love and life saviour. As he is lost in his life, he discovers himself with the guide of Sharon’s calm. Care putting the pieces of Ada’s transformation, he calms the rage storms that attack the rocky waters of his emotions.
Suzy (Michelle Ryan) – The ex girlfriend Ben springs his emotional whirlpool out of. Though faded from his life, his past entwined with the waters of memory serves as a compass in the self-growth that has to be undergone.
Ben’s night-shift colleagues in the cafe, Sharon’s Manager and co-workers, Jenkins – Each of his co-workers is a flute whose melody rains a laugh in the visualisation of life. Each one is an addition to the canvas of Ben’s self realisation.
Analysis of Themes
Despite the story being simple and personal, the film dives into multiple interesting and profound aspects:
- Time and Perception
Time is one of the central focuses of the film. When imagining ‘freezing’ time, for example, Ben finds himself in a tranquil state of mind and is able to introspect deeply. These quiet moments illustrate a possibility of how time can be a bit of a puzzle, and how we need to, at times, slow down in order to appreciate the charms of life. Time, in this case, is a something to be admired and is suspended in barriers and boundaries, something to be bounded and contained, a canvas.
- Heartbreak and Healing
Emotionally, being ‘ghosted’ is something that is captured very well in this film. Instead of centering the story around the drama of a film, the film highlights the importance of personal growth, the constructive value that silence can provide and the importance of people. Even after a ‘death’ of something, joy and bond are attainable, something we are all reminded to value.
- Creativity and Observation
Ben, as a creator, is able to view the world in ways that a lot of other people choose not to focus on. He is able to appreciate the simple things, subtle facial gestures, and moments that disappear in the blink of an eye. The film promotes the concept of an artistic approach and aims to inspire the audience.
- Emotional Maturity
As the movie progresses, Ben is no longer the heartbroken individual we were introduced to; he now knows himself, and those around him at a profound level. Unlike love, his travails are all about learning to dwell in the now and appreciating whatever is right in front of him, while shedding the past.
Visual Style
Cashback is often the subject of praise due to the artistic impressions and cinematography of the movie. Ben, the character, artistically reflects himself in the usage of lighting, the slow motion techniques, and imaginative framing. My favorite scenes, which are often overlooked in appreciation, are the “frozen time” scenes where motionless is used to create capture wonder and beauty.
The slow and soft color palette used in the film also helps achieve a sense of serenity which, in turn, induces thoughts of self-reflection. The camera tends to focus on minor details like a minor facial expression, a distantly caught stare, or a cuppa, and magically, these mere trivialities are transformed into valuable self-explained frames.
With the artistic decisions used in the film, the imaginator is metaphorically put in Ben’s shoes. At times, he feels the urge to hit the pause button in life, just to absorb and appreciate the beauty around him.
Tone and Sound
The voiceover in the film is quite a gentle and soft one. While at times lacking, the film is well-balanced in terms of light-hearted narration, romance, and humor. Unlike other movies, there are no super loud, climax scenes. The film flows seamlessly, almost like a quiet stroll while reminiscing on the past.
The peaceful and soft background music supports and accompanies the emotional movement of the film without overwhelming the audience. The soundtrack reflects the sense of calm that exists coupled with the sense of curiosity and faint resent which is reminisced through by Ben’s character.
Reception
The audience was quite fond of Cashback and its emotional sincerity coupled with its poetic structure. The film was praised for its visual elegance and the performance of Sean Biggerstaff along with the rest of the cast. It’s unique perspective is that the film manages to take a simple narrative which is personal in nature and transform in visually delicious and slaughtered.
The film captivated those with a specific taste in reflective prose, appealing to the creative flair in the cinematography and character-driven narratives. Its emotional intensity juxtaposed with the whispering message is the film’s spiritual message is one that deep resonates in conjunction with the appreciation of life.
In conclusion, Cashback is an artistically beautiful film with a life that bends from an artistic perspective. It is wrapped in a gentle and profound narrative which centers around memory, love, and the appreciation that comes along even in the difficult times. Not only are the viewers exposed to the gentle circulating message of life and its unnoticed elements, but also the sense of healing is represented through a character Ben. It is important to appreciate the time healing takes.
Cashback is differentiated by the combination of gentle humor, compassionate understanding, imaginative graphics, and emotional depth all folded in together. Its core celebrates the importance of reflection in appreciating the intricacies of life. Stories of creativity, relationship, and improvement all can be found in this film, which offers inspiration, gentle in tone, and a serenity that lasts well beyond the credits.
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