HAVEN

US, 2004, 115 minutes, Colour.
Bill Paxton, Orlando Bloom, Stephen Dillane, Zoe Saldana, Agnes Bruckner, Lee Ingleby, Anthony Mackie, Joy Bryant, Bobby Cannavale, Caroline Goodall, Serena Scott Thomas, Jake Weber, Robert Wisdom.
Directed by Frank E. Flowers.

Haven is a strange film. It was written and directed by Frank E. Flowers who, though born in the United States, grew up in Cayman Island where the film is set.

The structure of the film is demanding on the audience. It begins with one story, featuring Bill Paxton and Stephen Dillane, and then moves to an entirely different story with Orlando Bloom. However, eventually the two stories intersect and we realise that there is a time difference.

The film is blunt in its language and presentation of life on the island. It is not the haven that people thought it might be as a paradise. And it has its difficulties as a tax haven, especially with shady businessman and their deals.

The film is interesting in its blunt way but presents a rather grim picture of human nature as well as life on this Caribbean island.

1.Caribbean stories? The Caribbean experience and growing up of the writer-director?

2.The Cayman Island locations, the world of the rich, the world of the poor? Ordinary life? Homes, school, the wharves? The parties and the lifestyle, the drugs? The police? A comprehensive look at life on the island and its people? The comparison with Miami? The musical score, the songs, local flavour?

3.The structure of the film: the initial beach scene with Shy and Andrea, but the audience not knowing them? The transition to the deals with Ridley and Mr Allen? The movement towards the Shy story? The time-frames, the intercutting, the intersection of the two stories? The final overview?

4.The title, the Caymans as a paradise, the Caribbean, the history of the rescue of the son of George III, the tax haven, the shelters? The consequences?

5.The Ridley story: Allen and his plans, the tax dodgers, Sheila as the assistant, her relationship with Ridley, warning him about the police? Allen and his going to Miami? Ridley and the cash? The police? Ridley and his daughter Pippa, her birthday party? The warning, suddenly leaving, going to the Cayman Islands? Settling in? Fritz in the house, the relationship with Pippa, the girls and the drugs? Their being arrested? Ridley, going to get his daughter? The warning about the police, getting his cash, filling the bag, his deceiving Allen? Allen and his ambitions, his son “ and the interconnection with the Shy story? His wife and her exasperation? Telling the police? Ridley realising what had happened? The bag full of sand? Ridley going to jail? Allen and his loss? Pippa and her finding the money?

6.Shy, the flashback about the death of his father, its effect on him, his reserve? At work on the boats, his friends, Kimo and his standing on guard outside the house, the relationship with Andrea, her birthday, the sexual encounter? Shy and his relationship with his mother, the mother as a schoolteacher, the scenes of her classes? The students? The ordinary background to the other aspects of life on the Caymans? Shy and his work, escape? Hammer hunting him down, throwing the acid in his face? Shy staying alone, the months passing, Hammer getting out of jail, Andrea and her promiscuity and not contacting him?

7.Hammer and his story, adopted, growing up in the wealthy household, jealous, joining the gangs, wanting to belong?

8.The gang, their hold over Fritz, wanting the money, his explaining Ridley'™s money, the robbery plan and their not finding any money?

9.Andrea, young, hopes, the wealthy family, her strict father, her love for Shy? The night, her not knowing the repercussions, the promiscuity? Finally meeting Shy? His face? The truth?

10.Hammer, the confrontation with Shy? The gun? Shy letting him go then the sudden violence and his death?

11.The final images of all the main characters, the audience understanding what they had lived through, questions about their hopes? What was left for them?


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HAVEN

US, 2004, 115 minutes, Colour.
Bill Paxton, Stephen Dillane, Orlando Bloom, Agnes Bruckner, Joy Bryant, Victor Rusak, Anthony Mackie, Bobby Cannavale, Caroline Goodall, Zoe Saldana, Robert Wisdom.
Directed by Frank E.Flowers.

Haven is a complex thriller, set in the Cayman Islands and filmed there. There are several subplots, all eventually converging, the screenplay offering the different perspectives of some of the characters, showing the same time as experienced by different characters.

Haven is a word for a tourist resort and there are some scenes of the tourist attractions and scenery. However, it is also a tax haven, explained in the film by a grant from George III, happy with the recovery of his son after shipwreck. George III granted immunity from tax and this continued over several centuries – and the comment and that the islanders were extending this to the whole world.

There is a financial plot, Stephen Dillane as an increasingly corrupt manager of funds, tangling with American businessman, Bill Paxton, and betraying him to the FBI. Bobby Cannavale plays the chief agent.

Another plot concerns a local young man, Orlando Bloom, who is in love with a rich girl, Zoe Saldana. Her vengeful and violent brother is played by Anthony Mackie.

Further complication comes with another local young man, Victor Rasuk,into drugs, into deals, who takes up with Bill Paxton’s daughter.

Some difficulties in watching the complex plot – but the strands come together at the end.

1. An interesting thriller? The Cayman Islands settings? The traditions of the island? Freedom granted by George III? Taxes and finance? Extended to the whole world?

2. The locations, the scenes in Miami, the tourist aspects of the Caymans, visualising of the underside? The police? The musical score?

3. The title, the haven for holidays, the tax haven?

4. The range of the school of the cast, eclectic and international?

5. The screenplay, the complexities, the different perspectives the characters, the different times, the re-cap of the times?

6. Mr Allan, English background, his angers, swearing, disdain for Sheila? In the office, the banks closing, worrying about his cash? The phone calls? The contact with Carl? His assistant in the bar, discussing how to deposit the money? Deal with the FBI? His life, money-preoccupied, the interactions with his wife? Hs drinking, meeting Carl, hiding the bag, the agent’s arrival, the irony of the contents of the bag? With his wife, his losing all his money? The betrayal by Sheila?

7. Carl’s story, business deals, shady, love for his daughter, calling into her party, the gift? His leaving, the fax from Sheila, arranging to leave, taking Pippa, her resentment, the plane to Cayman Island? Carl trying to contact Allan? The money, concealing it from customs, in the house? His concerned about Pippa’s disappearance? His being reassured? Being taken to see her? The arrest? The irony of the hidden bag and its contents? Promising to look after Pippa? her finding the money under the bed?

8. Fritz, in the house, giving information to the drug dealers about the money after glimpsing it? His going out with Pippa? Their be taken by the police? Getting free? Fritz and the dealers and failure? Pippa and her bewilderment? Being released?

9. Shy, his life on the island, the scenes with his mother, his love for Andrea, the swimming, spending the night, the attack by Hammer? Acid on Shy’s face? The confrontation with her father? Hammer and his antagonism, the acid, jailed for four months, the confrontation and argument with Shy, Shy shooting him?

10. Andrea, wealthy, the father and his influence, her brother, love for Shy? The crisis with the shooting?

11. The dealers? The police and brutality, the office of beating Fritz and ridicule? His reputation for going on the boats, the cars?

12. The Cayman Islands, more than just tourist resorts, more than just banking, the underside of the island?