Along the Way

I watched this one about a month ago. The VHS was lying around in the corner of my bedroom, and when i desperately needed to watch a movie, i reluctantly picked it off from the floor and jammed it into the video player. What i didn't realise was that this movie would keep me pinned to the couch for a couple of hours to the point where i wouldn't even want to go to the kitchen to make myself some coffee in case i missed any of the movie (im too lazy, so i couldn't even consider pressing the pause button on the video player. The remote control was lost so....). Anyway... The story behind the haven goes as follows: Four best friends grew up together. They were together since they were pre-teens and stuck together till after their college graduation. When they were kids, they discovered this ranch-like place called "the haven" and made it their special meeting point. The place was special to all 4 of them because it symbolized their brotherhood and soon became their protection. They had made it a customary practice to visit the place together and continued to do so until they were adults. Following their graduation from college, they continue to live their lives together under the assumption that they will always be together or will at least always be there for each other. However, as time goes by, things change. Their bond of brotherhood as sealed by the haven, slowly begins to crumble until disaster strikes into each of their lives. After the spine-chilling tragedies occur, the friends that remain live life in regret, thinking about how things could have turned out better if they had acted more responsively to their other 2 friends who lost their lives. They end up questioning themselves about the bond of brotherhood between the four of them and whether or not it became soo weak to the point where the haven stopped protecting them. This is a very good movie (if not spectacular)and i would recommend it to anyone regardless of what type of viewers they are. This one will fascinate anyone.

I give this a 7.5/10....

In September, I attended the Wilmington Independent Film Festival. Among the multitudes of features, shorts & documentaries was a film that, to this day, I can't stop talking about. Within minutes of the first scenes, "The Haven" held my attention and wouldn't let go until the very end. I have seen other movies with similar themes and "The Haven" more than holds up against any of them. This may be about four guys but it's not a "guy flick" by any stretch of the imagination. What I found while watching "The Haven" is that I could identify deeply with each one of the characters and with the situations they encounter. All the elements worked - directing, acting, cinematography, beautifully written story, well developed characters - to make "The Haven" a film worth seeing.

My expectations were incredibly low when I started watching this film for the first time. It came as a super-low-budget one-pound DVD that had horrible picture and sound quality, even for VHS standards, and absolutely no extras. Just the title, "The Haven", sounded naff to me.

It starts out as a rather unoriginal film, portraying the growing-up of four friends, and it tends to be rather superficial for the first quarter, but then... it really engulfs you.

25 minutes into the film, you have been introduced to the characters and you find yourself completely addicted to see how they solve their building conflict between eachother, their conflict with people around them and how they face the real world. You get so involved into the story and the characters that you eventually experience an emotional rollercoaster until the film ends. Despite being a tough, allegedly non-sensitive guy, it had me shedding a few tears and reflecting silently upon life a few minutes when the film had ended. The film just did not leave me. I still keep thinking about it now, months afterwards.

The most fascinating fact is that it boasts a group of terrific actors, and yet they are all more or less unknown. In my opinion, the strongest actor without doubt is Andrew Bowen, who portrays Jocko. His performance is simply brilliant, and gives the character a depth that I couldn't think possible. The other three actors are marvelous as well, but it was Bowen that captured my attention. When I then found out that Bowen also was the director and writer of the film, I gasped. Quite an undiscovered talent that deserves more recognition.

The most unbelievable thing about the film is that it seems so professionally construed yet has no decent DVD or video release anywhere. To later find out that it has not even reached the major cinemas and has no major distributor is shocking. As far as I'm concerned, the film could easily compete for Oscar or Academy Awards among the top films from major Hollywood studios.

Today, "the Haven" is one of my all-time favourite films. I recommend it to everyone, but they simply cannot get hold of it, which is a shame. I really hope a decent DVD studio gives it a proper worldwide release some day.

In any way, if you get the chance to see "The Haven", please do. It is truly rewarding and will in one way or another affect you - more than you think.

I only wish every person could get a chance to experience what I have with this movie. Never In my life have I had total strangers spend 15 30 minutes talking to me about something with such passion. Never in my life have I had people tell me that this movie can save lives. Do yourself a favor and find a place that is showing this film, it is so worth your time and money. This has the kind of realizm and heart that doen't happen very often and is so desperately needed

I am writing this for anyone who has not yet seen, or is questioning, The Haven.

I went to see this movie in a little bar in Park City, Utah, during Sundance. My best friend and I walked in about 20 minutes into it. and what I seen of it was totally gripping. They done another showing promptly after the first, so my buddy and I decided to stick around and see what we missed. We had full intensions on leaving after we seen what we had missed, but we were so ingulfed in it that we opted to finish the movie a second time.

The actors and writing were great, I could relate to each of the roles personally. I found this movie to be an amazingly powerful film. I'm not quite sure how to explain it, but it's one of those movies that after you see it, you feel different, and you can't stop thinking about it.

I would strongly suggest anyone see this movie, and if you get the chance to talk to John (the writer) take the chance he is an extrememly down to earth guy. We were in Park City, with literally 1000's of people, we went back to see it again the second night, and John seen us, and remembered us by name. I find that pretty outstanding. After the film he asked us to give hime a testamony on film, which we were more than happy to do, for a film that contained such raw power and charisma. I'm no movie critic, but I would definately give this film 10 stars, on a 5 star rating system.

It's amazing, check it out.