07-07-29 Cashback (2006)

Seen: July 20th, 2007
Format: Broadcast (HDNMV - HDNet Movies)
Rating: 7

I caught an ad for this and was intrigued. So I set the DVR and let it work it's magic. I didn't know quite what to expect, and I got it.

As far as I can tell, this film was originally a short that was expanded to feature length. It has an exceptionally unique premise, which is a rare and valuable thing in film today. Things happen here that are unexpected. In my opinion, surrealism is about challenging the mind to think about things that it "understands" in new ways. When these preconceptions are shattered, we look at things in a new and different light.

The breaking of preconceptions, the actual realization of the premise is where the real challenge in this film lies. In generally, it does so very well.

The surreal nature of the story is well reflected in the style of the film. The use of surreal transitions between scenes and during them to indicate disconnection is very powerful. Visually the film is appealing. While there are some tricks and stunts, there's also very sound fundamental work here as well. Many of the better scenes are just straight shots. One of my favorites is just Ben staring at some peas.

The theme underlying the film, what it's really built on, is just that beauty is all around us, waiting to be seen and truly appreciated. To many, this film may seem exploitative and even voyeuristic. There is a thin line to tread here. When does staring become ogling, as opposed to simple rapture. I thing Cashback does an admirable job exploring that line. It recognizes it and places characters rather firmly on either side of it. Where they land is telling.

This isn't a simple story. There's complex ideas at work, all wrapped up in a fairly esoteric setting. It's heady stuff. In order to break up that tone, to provide some relief, there's quite a bit of quasi-comic relief here. I actually think that's a shame. While it does break things up and keep the film "moving along", much of it really doesn't fit.

I wish that the filmmaker had trusted his material more. It's easily strong enough to carry the film. Taking things a little slower, drawing them out, not to explain, but to revel a bit in the moods and textures that are displayed would have been a braver choice. My assumption is that much of this material was added to extend to short to feature length.

My only other quibble with Cashback is the ending. While very fitting and I have no problem with it's nature, it was a little too clearly telegraphed. Again, this may have been a "mass-market" decision. The predictability takes away from the impact of those final scenes, which so graphically illustrate the main point of the film.

I really enjoyed this film. If you like unusual or art films, you may appreciate this one. I'm looking forward to Sean Ellis' next outing.

The Good: Striking out in a new direction

The Bad: Not trusting the material

The Ugly: The thin line between appreciation and exploitation