Haven – the Film
Synopsis
With federal agents on his heels, a corrupt Miami businessman (Bill Paxton) tapes a million dollars to his midsection and flees to the exotic Cayman Islands, his unsuspecting daughter Pippa (Agnes Bruckner) reluctantly in tow. But while her father is desperately laundering his dirty money with a British investment banker (Stephen Dillane), who is skilled in washing ill-gotten gains, Pippa runs off to explore the island and its wild party scene with native Caymanian Fritz (Victor Rasuk). This island bad-boy is a real charmer with a dark side that's liable to get Pippa and her father in serious trouble. He's also an ominous thread connecting a sinister drug lord to Shy and Andrea (Orlando Bloom and Zoe Saldana), two innocent lovers whose forbidden passion ignites a violent chain reaction across the West Indies paradise and turns the tropical haven into a refuge that's anything but safe.
Reviews
Washington Post
In "Haven," Carl Ridley (Bill Paxton) is a rich Miami widower who has been trying to launder funds in the Cayman Islands' libertarian banking system. Alas, what he doesn't know is that the system is collapsing and that his "adviser," Mr. Allen (Stephen Dillane), has just lost his own fortune and is trying to find a way out and has been talking to U.S. Treasury officials about certain illegal deals he has set up.
What Mr. Allen, shrewd though he may be, doesn't know is that Ridley has been sleeping with Allen's secretary, so when she figures out the feds will soon be visiting Ridley, she cables him, and he escapes with his surly, sullen teenage daughter (Agnes Bruckner) and 28 pounds of luggage; that is, $1 million in hundreds. That's the situation among the haves: man exploiting man.
Among the have-nots, as the old joke goes, it's just the opposite. Shy (Orlando Bloom) is passionately in love with Andrea (Zoe Saldana), but even in the island's race-neutral youth culture, that's a big no because he's white, she's black; or because she's a princess, he's a peon; or maybe because her brother is insanely jealous of Shy and a gangster wannabe, looking for a way to prove himself with the island's big guns.
What "Haven" is selling is cultural vividness. Each detail feels right, from the patois of the gangstas to the proper rich-boy loafers worn by the rich boys, to the weird vibration of parents who look and act only a few years older than their children and may not be as sophisticated in the world of vice and the pleasures of the flesh.
The movie is small but sensational. I don't know what writer-director Frank E. Flowers might lose by trying to take his career international, but he has real talent.
Los Angeles Times
"Haven" is being quietly slipped into theaters, but this is not the usual end-of-summer jetsam dump. The film, which has been recut since it screened two years ago at the Toronto International Film Festival, is probably a victim of its own complexity.
This genre-crossing ensemble piece switches from the sublime (suspended moments of lovers' bliss) to the stomach-churning (the constant threat of violence) without breaking its swaying stride. Set in the Cayman Islands, it intertwines stories of corrupt businessmen fleeing the feds into tax havens, local small-time operators overestimating their own abilities and, at its center, forbidden romance. It's about the paradises the characters seem to find, each of which turns out to be more than just a letter away from "Heaven."
Although writer-director Frank E. Flowers, making his feature-film debut, falls into the common traps of MTV-Soderbergh progeny, busybody editing and camera action, he generates tension with relatively strong storytelling and compelling relationships. The movie's not quite a thriller, not just a love story; it's told in a nonlinear style that can abruptly downshift to a leisurely gait.
Flowers reportedly grew up in the Caymans, which would explain the fine detail sprinkled throughout. He has given his actors some well-observed characters, such as the big-talking island lothario who "cleans up" a kitchen beer spill by rubbing it with his shoe, or the teenage sidekick whose pimped-out ride is a ratty bicycle with a boom box strapped to the handlebars. Flowers gets relaxed, naturalistic performances from a strong cast that includes Orlando Bloom, who executive produced the film, Bill Paxton and Stephen Dillane.
As the romantic dreamer Shy in "Haven," Bloom is at his best since a roguish jaunt in "Ned Kelly." Zoë Saldana ("Guess Who," "The Terminal") gives a sweet and complicated performance as Shy's secret love, Andrea. As the smooth-operating island kid Fritz, Victor Rasuk ("Raising Victor Vargas") is simultaneously charming and reprehensible.
"Haven" is far from perfect, with some uncomfortable pacing, wayward accents and less-than-satisfying denouements. But it's a refreshing, character-driven antidote to the late-summer movie-house blahs, and Flowers looks like a talent worth watching.
Memorable Quotes
Shy: I don't start fights. I mean, look at this face. Come on.
________________________________________
Shy: And I'm serious about that bike... Dawg.
________________________________________
Andrea: Have you ever been in love?
________________________________________
Shy: You didn't f****** scar me, you scarred her. You live with that. You live with that.
________________________________________
Cast (in credits order)
Razaaq Adoti
... Richie Rich
Orlando Bloom
... Shy
Agnes Bruckner
... Pippa Ridley
Joy Bryant
... Sheila
Bobby Cannavale
... Lieutenant
Stephen Dillane
... Mr. Allen
Lee Ingleby
... Patrick
Anthony Mackie
... Hammer
Bill Paxton
... Carl Ridley
Victor Rasuk
... Fritz
Zoe Saldana
... Andrea
Robert Wisdom
... Mr. Sterling
Sarah Carter
... Chanel
Santiago Cabrera
... Gene
Caroline Goodall
... Ms. Claire
Mpho Koaho
... Kimo
Ky-Mani Marley
... John the Baptist
Rachel Miner
... Eva
Peter O'Meara
... Officer Franklin
Serena Scott Thomas
... Mrs. Allen
Jake Weber
... Officer Powell
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Keith Britton
... Man
Terry Burke
... The Boatman
Paul Deakin
... Background actor
Christian Alexander De Gré
... Background Actor
Brian Hamilton
... Tour Bus Driver
Create a character page for:
Produced by
Orlando Bloom
.... co-producer
Henry Boger
.... associate producer
Robbie Brenner
.... producer
George F. Heller
.... executive producer
Martin Katz
.... associate producer
Aleen Keshishian
.... executive producer
Kelli Konop
.... executive producer
Alex Lewis
.... co-producer
Josef Steinberger
.... co-producer
Bruce Webb
.... co-producer
Bob Yari
.... producer
Original Music by
Heitor Pereira
Cinematography by
Michael Bernard
Film Editing by
Peter Christelis
Casting by
Cassandra Kulukundis
Production Design by
Damien Byrne
Art Direction by
Jon Deprudhoe
Costume Design by
Bobbie Read
Makeup Department
Heather Cummings
.... key makeup artist
Anja Daum
.... makeup artist
Paula Leupold
.... hair stylist
Paula Leupold
.... makeup artist
Tracy Murphy
.... makeup department head
Kathe Swanson
.... hair department head
Debbie Watson
.... makeup artist
Isabella Wiley
.... key hair stylist (as Isabella Gasser)
Production Management
Jay Coquillon
.... post-production supervisor
Brian Donovan
.... unit production manager
Paul Jaconi Biery
.... production supervisor
Tatjana Jakovleski
.... production supervisor
Robert Katz
.... executive in charge of production
John Portnoy
.... post-production supervisor
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fiona Frawley
.... second second assistant director
Sholto J. Roeg
.... first assistant director
Hillary Schwartz
.... second assistant director
Toby Sherborne
.... first assistant director: second unit
Art Department
Daragh Byrne
.... construction coordinator
Brendon Crigler
.... construction coordinator
Fiona Frawley
.... art department coordinator
Fiona Frawley
.... picture vehicle supervisor
Andrea Kessler
.... on-set props
Christoph Merg
.... property master
Sound Department
Dhyana Carlton-Tims
.... assistant dialogue editor
Craig Clark
.... sound editor
Craig Clark
.... supervising sound editor
Mark DeSimone
.... adr mixer: New York
Robert Farr
.... sound re-recording mixer
Jamie Hardt
.... sound designer
Jamie Hardt
.... supervising sound editor
Marc Hayes
.... adr recordist
Scott Hinkley
.... additional sound re-recording mixer
Chad J. Hughes
.... sound effects editor
Cody King
.... assistant sound editor
Richard Kitting
.... foley editor
Jamie Luker
.... sound recording engineer
Jonathan Miller
.... supervising sound designer
Andrew Morgado
.... assistant sound editor
Martin Müller
.... sound
Colin Rogers
.... adr foley mixer
David F. Van Slyke
.... sound effects editor
Ben Wilkins
.... sound editor
Special Effects by
Andres Sepulveda
.... armourer
David Waine
.... special effects supervisor
Chris Walkowiak
.... special effects coordinator
Visual Effects by
Stuart Pitcher
.... digital compositor
David Van Woert
.... titles and opticals producer
Leo Vezzali
.... titles and opticals supervisor
John L. Weckworth
.... digital compositor
John L. Weckworth
.... main title design
Stunts
Joseph Beddelem
.... stunts
Armin Sauer
.... stunt performer
Armin Sauer
.... stunts
Rainer Werner
.... stunt coordinator
Camera and Electrical Department
Matt Baker
.... first assistant camera: "b" camera
Jan Brun
.... dolly grip
Emma Hetherington
.... second assistant camera
Andreas Huber
.... electrician
Jacques Jouffret
.... camera operator: "b" camera
Jacques Jouffret
.... steadicam operator
Alexander Jung
.... electrician
Flo Kronenberger
.... electrician
Oliver Kühne
.... electrician
Oliver Kühne
.... rigger
Gerry Martin
.... camera production assistant
Tom Marvel
.... director of photography: second unit
Beda Mulzer
.... electrician
Frank Musiol
.... electrician
Sacha Riviere
.... additional camera operator
Sacha Riviere
.... first assistant camera
Fabienne Roussignol
.... assistant camera: second unit
Helen Sabatzki
.... second assistant camera: second unit
Harold Skinner
.... gaffer
Bjoern Susen
.... electrician
Oliver Upton
.... still photographer
Sascha Vogel
.... electrician
Stefan Wilking
.... best boy
Casting Department
John Barba
.... casting associate
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sally Crees
.... wardrobe supervisor
Karan Doherty
.... key costumer
Stephanie Paul
.... costume assistant
Editorial Department
Kenny Becker
.... color timer
Anthony Bozanich
.... assistant editor
Steve Harrow
.... post-production consultant
John Portnoy
.... post-production executive
Brenna Rangott
.... assistant editor
Charlie Wiel
.... post-production coordinator
Music Department
Glen Caplin
.... music supervisor
Emir Isilay
.... assistant composer
Malcolm Luker
.... music scoring mixer
Jeremy Raub
.... music editor
Amanda Scheer-Demme
.... music supervisor
Joshua Winget
.... music editor
Transportation Department
Robert Gillis
.... transportation captain
Brett Leslie
.... driver
Lee Siler
.... transportation coordinator
Scott Siler
.... picture car coordinator
Scott Siler
.... transportation co-captain
Other crew
Kirby Adams
.... assistant accountant
Clare Aldington
.... assistant coordinator
Paul Bennett
.... production assistant
Seb Cardinal
.... production assistant
Hilary Carver
.... unit publicist
Steve Chinrey
.... location manager
Jaime Doak
.... assistant to director
Frankie Flowers Sr.
.... production consultant
Suraj Gohill
.... production lender
Dorottya Hegedus
.... travel coordinator
Jonathan Heine
.... production financing
Tamara Hill
.... accounting clerk
Michael J. Linowes
.... legal counsel
Kevin McDermott
.... acting coach
Tomeaka McTaggart
.... set medic
Terry Miles
.... location assistant
Hannah Nicholson
.... production assistant
Sylvia Parker
.... script supervisor
Janet Place
.... production accountant
James Reekie
.... payroll clerk
Sabine Renger
.... production coordinator
Carl Solomon
.... production assistant
Shelly Strong
.... production executive
Daniel Stutz
.... business and legal affairs executive
Ian Watermeier
.... staff coordinator
Todd Williams
.... production executive
Dan Wilson
.... assistant to producer
Michele Wright
.... first assistant accountant
Prince Bagdasarian
.... film and media coordinator (uncredited)