← Back to Reviews
in
Cashback
This film is a prototypical art house film in that it is character/idea driven as well as has a fair amount of gratuitous nudity in it. And it has another important art house aspect, for the most part it is a depressing film.
What works well in this film is the interplay between the character and the idea in the film. It helps that I am a romantic and how it deals with the depressing aspects of love, but I like the abstract way in which the main character deals with beauty and love. It is really disturbing on most levels, but very fascinating to see into the character.
The one idea that I think this film tries to make, or at least tries to slip in a couple of times whether or not it agrees with it is up for debate, is the idea of beauty being connected to love. I'm not sure if this is a pure connection between beauty and love, or the idea that what is found beautiful is often easier to love, but the amount of talk about beauty does seem to imply that some of the characters fail to see a difference between beauty and love.
This film relies very heavily on voice over, which can become a bit pretentious at times in that the narration, while complimenting the film, is so heavily used. There are some points in time where it is possible to see into the characters mind and come out with the voice over, without it actually being said. However, with all of that said, the voice over does not detract from the film.
Overall this was a film that I enjoyed a lot. Even with it having a happy ending, it was a very well done film about the ideas in the film, not so much about the plot. The plot moved along entertainingly enough that it didn't take away from the ideas as well, so they complimented each other nicely.
Overall Grade: A-
Acting: B
Story: A
Audio/Visual: A
This film is a prototypical art house film in that it is character/idea driven as well as has a fair amount of gratuitous nudity in it. And it has another important art house aspect, for the most part it is a depressing film.
What works well in this film is the interplay between the character and the idea in the film. It helps that I am a romantic and how it deals with the depressing aspects of love, but I like the abstract way in which the main character deals with beauty and love. It is really disturbing on most levels, but very fascinating to see into the character.
The one idea that I think this film tries to make, or at least tries to slip in a couple of times whether or not it agrees with it is up for debate, is the idea of beauty being connected to love. I'm not sure if this is a pure connection between beauty and love, or the idea that what is found beautiful is often easier to love, but the amount of talk about beauty does seem to imply that some of the characters fail to see a difference between beauty and love.
This film relies very heavily on voice over, which can become a bit pretentious at times in that the narration, while complimenting the film, is so heavily used. There are some points in time where it is possible to see into the characters mind and come out with the voice over, without it actually being said. However, with all of that said, the voice over does not detract from the film.
Overall this was a film that I enjoyed a lot. Even with it having a happy ending, it was a very well done film about the ideas in the film, not so much about the plot. The plot moved along entertainingly enough that it didn't take away from the ideas as well, so they complimented each other nicely.
Overall Grade: A-
Acting: B
Story: A
Audio/Visual: A