Haven (2004)

13% of critics liked it
(62 reviews)
55% of users liked it
(20,880 ratings)

When a corrupt Miami businessman flees to the Cayman Islands with his daughter and a million dollars in dirty money, the resulting inferno threatens to consume father, daughter, and even a few unsuspecting innocents in a sun soaked crime drama starring Bill Paxton, Orlando Bloom, and Agnes Bruckner.… More When a corrupt Miami businessman flees to the Cayman Islands with his daughter and a million dollars in dirty money, the resulting inferno threatens to consume father, daughter, and even a few unsuspecting innocents in a sun soaked crime drama starring Bill Paxton, Orlando Bloom, and Agnes Bruckner. Carl Ridley (Paxton) was desperate to escape the law when he boarded an airplane for the Cayman Islands, but as the heat starts to rise in paradise, he's about to realize that there are some fates far worse than prison time. As Carl attempts to cleanse his ill-gotten gains with a little help from crooked British investment banker Mr. Allen (Stephen Dillane), his resentful daughter Pippa (Bruckner) sets out to explore her exotic new surroundings on the arm of native bad boy Fritz (Victor Rasuk). A low-level thug whose connections to a powerful local crime lord threatens to spell doom for all involved, Fritz draws Pippa in to disastrous chain of events sparked by the forbidden desires of unsuspecting lovers Shy (Bloom and Andrea (Zoe Saldana). Now, as the West Indies threatens to explode into violence, Carl must choose between the safety of his daughter and fortune he's trying to hide. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: Frank E. Flowers
Written By: Frank E. Flowers
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Sep 15, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Dec 26, 2006
Studio: Yari Film Group

Critic Reviews

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
The goal seems to have been to create a multilayered thriller, but the senseless, verbose and convoluted saga never generates simple suspense, let alone tension.
Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter
The presence in the ensemble of Orlando Bloom, who also serves as a producer, could be an initial enticement, but his performance is one of the weakest in a mixed bag.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
It's a muddled, disjointed and fairly undramatic film.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
A long-shelved, watchable but mediocre Mobius strip of a thriller.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
A movie that would go down easier if you didn't have a feeling you'd seen it already.
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
Time will tell if Bloom can grow, but Haven suggests writer-director Flowers may become a perennial pleasure.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Writer/director Frank E. Flowers loses track of his own narrative puzzle that includes a story about a shady but rich Floridian (Bill Paxton) with an 18-year-old daughter (Agnes Bruckner %u2013 "Blue Car") escaping to Grand Cayman from the feds who want t
Felix Gonzalez Jr., DVD Review
... it seems that Fox was not confident enough in the film to provide any good extras.
Felix Gonzalez Jr., DVD Review
What the film lacks in dramatic depth it makes up for in its visuals, which keep viewer attention even when the story drags.
Brian Tallerico, UGO
The audience just has to work a little too hard to see through the bad editing to the Haven that lies beneath, no matter how interesting and promising that movie may be.
Doris Toumarkine, Film Journal International
Flowers' manic style...leaves little room to consider what is actually going on beyond all the eye candy and sensory numbing.
Staci Layne Wilson, Buzzine Magazine
Haven is a heavy drama, directed with an even heavier hand.
Les Wright, culturevulture.net
By the time this quasi Robert Altman-like meeting of unrelated characters happens -- and even if the viewer has kept track of all the characters -- it's hard to care about much of anything, other than knowing the film is nearly over.
Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review
[Director Frank E.] Flowers is clearly talented, with an eye for local color, but grasp of character and psychology is tenuous, and his roundabout, double-back structure quickly grows tiresome and annoying...
Victoria Alexander, FilmsInReview.com
A mess. Orlando Bloom had better get those Elves ears back on.
M. K. Terrell, Christian Science Monitor
Flowers's directorial debut is sometimes a little hard to follow, but shows genuine concern and hope for his native land.
Eric D. Snider, EricDSnider.com
The tone is moody and bleak, the characters are petty jackasses, and Flowers' heavy-handed messages about colonialism are trite.
Thomas Delapa, Boulder Weekly
An extraordinary directorial debut that just may knock your socks off, or at least your flip-flops. ... Though Flowers may be accused of sensationalizing his subject, there's no denying his stunning cinematic flourishes.
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
Likely to leave you scratching your head--not merely because the plot's so hard to follow but because you'll be wondering why anybody thought it was worth making.
Toddy Burton, Austin Chronicle
Lacking purpose or thoughtful complexity, Flowers' film is an overly ambitious mess.

Read all 20 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Nicki M

Interesting - a little hard to get into, but worth it. A little too abrupt at the end though.
Arash X

"Can love survive the fall of paradise?"
Bannan i

This really, really surprised me...as I'm not quite fond of Orlando Bloom. However, this film is not just about him...it's about so much more. It's strange how such a paradise can become...like such a prison. Review...TBC.
Dean M

Absolutely and a very first-rate, stylish, sexy thriller with an all-star cast on the idyllic shores of the Cayman Islands and my best one of three scenes on the same time starring Orlando Bloom as Shy. It's a tradition to <i>Crash</i>.
Rico Z

This movie may feel a little scatter-brained and all-over-the-place at first glance. But it is actually a really smart caper film with a romantic Romeo & Juliet theme subtely sprinkled throughout. The cinematography is excellent (reminiscent of a Tony Scott film) and brings… More
This movie may feel a little scatter-brained and all-over-the-place at first glance. But it is actually a really smart caper film with a romantic Romeo & Juliet theme subtely sprinkled throughout. The cinematography is excellent (reminiscent of a Tony Scott film) and brings gritty realism to the story of forbidden love, deceith, drugs and money laundering on a beautiful, yet dangerous island. What is meant to be regarded as a "haven" is, in many ways, the most dangerous and seedy place you can imagine. There are some decent performances by a noticably young Orlando Bloom and Zoe Saldana; as well as an okay job done by a not-so-okay actor by the name of Bill Paxton ( I really can't stand the guy.) The storyline reminds me a bit of Traffic and the film has that Soderbergh-ian style. The heights that these characters will go to in order to get what they want is impressive and disturbing all at once. And if you found my review of the plot somewhat vague, then you should DEFINITELY go see the movie to find out what the hell I'm talking about.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"Haven" starts with Carl(Bill Paxton) barely having enough time to pack up a suitcase and collect his 18-year old daughter, Pippa(Agnes Bruckner), after the authorities show up at his house to serve a subpoena. They make a quick break for the tax haven… More
[font=Century Gothic]"Haven" starts with Carl(Bill Paxton) barely having enough time to pack up a suitcase and collect his 18-year old daughter, Pippa(Agnes Bruckner), after the authorities show up at his house to serve a subpoena. They make a quick break for the tax haven of Grand Cayman Island to collect the rest of his money but the banks are closed, forcing him to wait out the weekend. Pippa makes the acquaintance of a local hustler, Fritz(Victor Rasuk), who she accompanies to Rich's(Razaaq Adoti) birthday party even though the guest of honor wishes him harm...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Haven" is a fairly compelling take on loss of innocence with a complicated structure that has been utilized better elsewhere. Three of the characters, Pippa, Andrea and Patrick, have their worlds shattered by their fathers' actions(one is affected much more than the other two). Two turn 18 in the course of the movie which is an age when they are still their fathers' children but starting to become more independent. All of which is symbolic of Grand Cayman Island's loss of innocence to the root of all evil - money; be it tourist, drug or tax shelter. And money ruins Andrea's chances of having an open relationship with Shy, a mere employee of her father's.(It's interesting that class is at the root of this while race is hardly mentioned.)[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font]
William G

If told straightforward, things might have been borderline interesting and the relationships could resonate to a greater depth.
Kevin M

I really approve of this terribly sad love story and criminal money laundering subplot, set in the Cayman Islands. Paxton, Bloom, and Mackie acted well beyond par, outshining the 'thug poser' scenes byfar. I was glad to see 'real-life' issues take root in a film,… More
I really approve of this terribly sad love story and criminal money laundering subplot, set in the Cayman Islands. Paxton, Bloom, and Mackie acted well beyond par, outshining the 'thug poser' scenes byfar. I was glad to see 'real-life' issues take root in a film, especially since I'm familiar with off-shore money laundering and tax evasion scenarios. I've seen the damage that hard drugs can do to my friends and former girlfriends, so I'm glad the end scene resolutions were positive.
Erin C

This movie was very weird. It was sad too...reminded me a lot of "Crash."

Read all 9 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Orlando Bloom as Shy

            Bill Paxton as Carl Ridley

            Zoe Saldana as Andrea

            Anthony Mackie as Hammer

            Agnes Bruckner as Pippa Ridley

            Victor Rasuk as Fritz

            Joy Bryant as Sheila

            Stephen Dillane as Mr. Allen

            Bobby Cannavale as Agent Martinez

            Razaaq Adoti as Ritchie Rich

            Lee Ingleby as Patrick

            Robert Wisdom as Mr. Sterling

            Sarah Carter as Trust Fund #1

            Santiago Cabrera as Gene

            Caroline Goodall as Shy's Mom

            Mpho Koaho as Kimo

            Ky-Mani Marley
            
            Rachel Miner as Eva

            Peter O'Meara as Officer Franklin

            Serena Scott Thomas as Helen Allen

            Jake Weber as Officer Powell

            Troy Sanford as Jr. Gangsta

            Josh Bernard as Boo

            Marcia Muttoo as Andrea's Mom

            Joel Francis as Brother White

            Clifton Bennett as Jerk Chef
See full cast

Haven (2004)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Nicki M

Arash X

Bannan i

Dean M

Rico Z

Walter M

William G

Kevin M

Erin C

Cast

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