Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer

Orlando Bloom is focused in 'Haven'. - Contributed

Haven is one of those films that break the basic rules of storytelling, and it also demonstrates how dangerous breaking those rules can be, as one can easily trip and fall over and get buried beneath the structure. The film is written and directed by Frank E. Flowers, and represents a bold attempt to go beyond the ordinary and experiment with the medium.

Unfortunately, it's not a very successful experiment. The basic rule of storytelling, whether for film or any other medium, is that every story has a beginning, middle and an end. If one is good enough and bold enough, one knows how to break these rules and shuffle them around with more dexterity than a three-card man.

This is exactly what Flowers attempts in Haven, an exploration of life in the Cayman Islands that delves into violent and white-collar crime on the island which has become a haven for those with well-lined pockets. As such, the film presents a look at what people are willing to do for love or money.

The film stars Orlando Bloom as Shy, Bill Paxton as Carl Riddley, Stephen Dillane as Mr. Allen and Zoe Saldana as Andrea. Indeed, the multiplicity of perspectives from which this story is told largely make it an ensemble piece, with roles by Victor Rasuk, Agnes Bruckner, and Anthony Mackie also being pivotal to the tale. At most the film manages to be mildly interesting although the structure tends to get in the way of the story, as every time it gains a little momentum the perspective shifts.

Much ado about nothing

As such, through this tale Flowers is unable to make one care about any of the characters, which is only further hampered by the shifting sands upon which he builds this story. At the end of the tale, one might understand what happened, but it actually doesn't matter, because one has just spent too much time with people one doesn't care about.

The problem is that two of the main characters, Shy and Andrea, seem to be too engaged in much ado about nothing. The presentation of their star-crossed lovers situation is quite unconvincing and you merely wish they would get over themselves.

Additionally, the film seems to have too many loose ends that are merely left dangling at the end of it all. At most, Haven manages to raise a few questions as to whether the island is truly a haven for either money or romance, and it questions how its status as 'haven' seems to be getting in the way of the citizens' development.

Haven is nothing if not a bold attempt at storytelling, however, and for that reason it can generate some interest as one tries to unravel the story within. As such, Haven is not a bad sophomore project for its writer/director, whose debut effort was the short film Swallow.

It is simply a pity that it manages to stumble over its own structure.