Making a movie in which the voice-over comes nearly half an hour into the tale is either savvy or stupid. Yet this is precisely what writer- director Frank E. Flowers’ impressive debut, “Haven,” set in the Cayman Islands, does.
The belated narration belongs to Shy and his portrayer, Orlando Bloom. A native Caymanian, Shy got his nickname when his father was killed in a beach-side altercation. A young witness to the crime, he didn’t speak for years.
Now he tends to a local businessman’s yacht. He’s also having a star-crossed affair with Andrea (Zoë Saldana), his boss’ daughter. Their sweet, tentative affections are made all the more vulnerable by Andrea’s brother Hammer’s fury. Anthony Mackie convinces as a scion out to prove himself.
These tensions might have been material enough for a new director, but Flowers navigates even vaster, rougher terrain. This is not your travel agent’s Caribbean. Flowers provides an insider’s tour of a place both exploited and proud.
His devotion to his home reveals itself in the details: An old woman sings a ditty about banks and money; two men while away the day playing dominos in a hut; locals crowd a roadside jerk-chicken joint.
Action unfolds and doubles back over one weekend. Friday the 13th brings disaster to businessman Carl Ridley (Bill Paxton). A faxed message has the Miami resident packing light and dragging 18-year-old daughter Pippa (Agnes Bruckner), to the Caymans.
While Carl desperately tries to contact his AWOL money mismanager (Stephen Dillane), Pippa finds a dodgy guide in Fritz (Victor Rusak), a hotel manager’s son.
A tax haven to many, the Caymans offer the azure waters and beckoning sands of respite. But how much of a refuge is it for those not just visiting or making deposits to its banks?
“Haven” premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. At that same fest, Bloom starred in another premiere. Cameron Crowe’s fairly disastrous “Elizabethtown” did little to establish the lovely actor’s future as a leading man.
“Haven” does something altogether better. It suggests that, under the right circumstances, Bloom could blossom yet. Like many a female counterpart, he seems freed by a storyline that sullies his good looks. Time will tell if Bloom can grow, but “Haven” suggests writer-director Flowers may become a perennial pleasure.
“Haven” | *** RATING
R for language, drug use, sexual content and some violence |1 hour, 38 minutes|DRAMA|Written and directed by Frank E. Flowers; photography by Michael Bernard; starring Orlando Bloom, Agnes Bruckner, Joy Bryant, Stephen Dillane, Anthony Mackie, Bill Paxton, Victor Rusak, Zoë Saldana |Opens today at the United Artists Denver Pavilions Stadium 15.
