June 6, 2008
"Do you know the thing about the Cayman Islands? You know about the tax thing. Years ago, 18th century, this place was just all bushes and fishermen. There was a storm: a convoy of ships was crashed on the reef, and the locals risked their lives to go out and help the passenge...( read more)rs... one of whom turned out to be the son of King George III of England. And His Majesty was so pleased that his son's life had been spared, that he decreed the Cayman Islands had paid their dues to the crown and would never again have to pay taxes. Hundreds of years later, the locals took it upon themselves to open up that privilege to the rest of the fucking world. Made a fucking mint."
One of two qualities Haven has is how appropriate its title is. It takes place in the Cayman Islands, paradise on Earth, with beautiful beaches, beautiful and friendly people, and of course, being the ideal place to stash cash, ill gotten or otherwise, free from taxation. In its seedier side, to paraphrase from another film, weed is the currency, openly passed around in nacho chip bags. This film ditches the idyllic moments, to peer beneath the veneer, of hell on Earth instead.
I like films which have many characters, each with their own objectives, but being led by unseen forces as they relate to one another, and events bring them to within striking distance. They might belong to distinct story arcs, but given the geographical proximity, their lives, their decisions and the consequences all become intertwined. That often feels unconvincing, improbable when some films opt for a Babel-like "We're-all-connected" doctrine, linking characters who would never cross paths in normal life by mere chance and coincidence. In Haven it feels believable because it's how it happens in reality. People who live in islands (I was born in one myself) are connected, geographically speaking. The biggest of the Cayman Islands - Grand Cayman - has a population of less than 50,000 people - that's a village.
There are three clear arcs in the film, but the characters involved flit seamlessly from one arc to the next. You have the corrupt businessmen (Bill Paxton) looking to escape the law at Miami, an affair, a daughter (Agnes Bruckner) who hooks up with drugs and the wrong company, a sly thief of sorts (Victor Rasuk), two star crossed lovers (Orlando Bloom and Zoe Saldana), a hot-headed brother (Anthony Mackie), good friends, and gangsters. On its own, they could be short stories. But when narrative style takes on the fragmented, non-linear approach to spice and disguise an ordinary story, that's what you get in Frank E. Flowers' Haven.
Perhaps what will put bums in seats is the presence of Orlando Bloom, though the R rating would have restricted his girly groupie fans here from seeing their cinematic idol on screen in a role which is similar to what Tom Cruise did in Vanilla Sky, sort of. He plays the role of the Romeo in the star-crossed lovers arc, as Shy, son of a fisherman, still figuring out the meaning to his life, and having a lack of ambition which worries his girlfriend Andrea (Saldana). Parental disapproval gets into play, and the rest is a spiral downwards for both lovers and their relationship. Some say Bloom's role is intense, but there isn't enough room for his character to justify that.
And sadly, that was just about the better story amongst the three. In reality, all three could have been extremely short, as the scenes, though intercut with each other and had some overlapping moments, don't really contribute much to the characters or stories. You could have cut off half the fat, and still the story would hold water. One saving grace would be the score and soundtrack though, accentuating the illusion of paradise.
But this is not to say Haven is a really bad film, like every film critic made it out to be. It just had enough story elements to cruise along in auto-pilot, and in the process offer nothing ground-breaking stylistically, or earth shattering in having any twists and turns to the plot. Breaking up and juxtaposing a linear plot does not disguise the fact that it inherently needs a lot more vigour. I still think this Frank E. Flowers guy has talent though, his short Swallow is awesome.
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