Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011) User Reviews

"Salmon Fishing" Makes For An Interesting Ride

[D_Burke · 8/10 · 27 February 2012]

Enjoying a film like "Salmon Fishing In The Yemen" is similar to acquiring a taste for actual fishing. Like the sport that some find invigorating while others find it dreadfully dull, this film has its draggy moments. However, there are also enlightening points to the movie that come when you least expect them.

Of course, that is not to say that you have to actually LIKE fishing, or understand it, to enjoy "Salmon Fishing In The Yemen". Fishing serves as a crucial plot point, but you don't have to be a card-carrying member of Cabella's or L.L. Bean to enjoy it.

The film has elements of romantic comedy, environmentalism, foreign relations drama, and insightfulness that makes it difficult to concretely categorize. Fortunately, all these facets combine to create a story that's far from predictable. Just like a current, there are times you don't know where the story is going.

Ewan McGregor plays Fred Jones, a fisheries expert for the British government who receives an odd request from legal representative Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt). Harriet represents a wealthy sheik (Amr Waked) who resides in both Great Britain and Yemen, and has an unusual fondness for salmon fishing. He wants to take a healthy population of salmon from the British lakes, and transport them to the Yemen River to live and breed.

The reason this plot does not make for good cocktail party small talk or water cooler chatter is because it takes such a long time to describe the rationale behind such an ambitious task. For instance, can salmon, who thrive in cold water, even survive in the Middle East, where it's obviously hot? Plus, why would people from Yemen even be interested in fishing? The film answers these questions and others very well, and allows the story to breathe better as each subplot reveals itself. Nothing is rushed in this movie, which, while a few parts drag here and there, is overall a welcome departure from certain high-octane multiplex drivel that passes as entertainment.

Once you actually listen to the characters and hear their reasoning, a lot of the story makes sense. This fact is especially true for Amr Waked, who is not yet a well known actor, but whose character has a profound impact on the film.

Western audiences are not used to seeing a Middle Eastern character that is not a terrorist, let alone one who credibly connects fishing and faith better than any PBS show even could. Waked, who is Egyptian in real life but whose character is Yemeni, does so incredibly well, and is truly the breakout star of this movie. It's a shame that Oscar season just ended, because the early release of this film alone hurts his chances of receiving a Best Supporting Actor nomination, although he deserves it.

The inevitable love story in the movie is also unpredictable, if only because you're not sure whether McGregor and Blunt should be together. McGregor's Fred is married, and Blunt's Harriet has a boyfriend who is sent off to fight in the Afghanistan War. There are plot twists for both characters, but even you, the audience, remains unsure whether the two characters working together so well to bring salmon to Yemen means they should be together. It creates a necessary tension few romantic comedies dare to address.

As for their performances, McGregor seems to play a more mature leading role than in other films he's made before. His character here is more practical than idealist (as in "Moulin Rouge" (2001)), more professional than playboy (as in "Down With Love" (2003)), and knows where his morals lie (unlike "Trainspotting" (1996)). While he was good in those other films, he can only play those roles for so long.

Emily Blunt also delivered a balanced, multi-layered performance, and worked very well off McGregor. I thought there would be an explanation for why her character's last name was hyphenated, as you almost never see characters with two last names in movies. Could there have been a failed marriage in her past, perhaps? It wasn't ever explained, nor was it really crucial to the plot.

Kristin Scott Thomas also provides some unexpected comic relief as a press secretary for Parliament who chats with the British Prime Minister on Instant Messenger. Her character spearheads the campaign to transport the salmon to Yemen in order to divert public attention from the Afghanistan War. Again, a crucial subplot, but one that has to be seen, not explained second hand.

"Salmon Fishing In The Yemen" is enjoyable like some find fishing to be: there's a lot of calm to it, but when the funny parts happen, they can be as surprising and as fulfilling as catching a big fish. Also, if you actually listen to Amr Waked's character the same way some expert fisherman have pearls of wisdom, the movie's enjoyment may even come as a bigger surprise.

Brings humour and faith to science, politics and romantic comedies

[napierslogs · 8/10 · 17 March 2012]

A rich sheik has decided that he would like to bring the faith and sport of fly-fishing to Yemen. British fisheries expert, Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor), thinks it's a joke. But the PM likes the idea of positive Anglo-Yemeni cooperation and the 2 million potential voters who fish. Dr. Jones still thinks it's a joke. The sheik transfers $50 Million over to his consultant's firm, and thus the project begins.

Dr. Jones still thinks it's a joke. And that is where the film shines. The filmmakers don't really treat it as if it's a true story and keep the humour sharp throughout. It's more closely related to a light-hearted romantic comedy rather than a sharp-edged political memoir. But again, this is where it shines, because it's so much better than a light-hearted romantic comedy. McGregor nails his serious character, allowing us to experience his whimsical sense of humour beneath his scientific demeanor. It's a character that I instantly connected with and it has never been better written or portrayed as it was here.

To me, the second best character was Sheikh Muhammed (Amr Waked). (Although at this point most people would prefer to mention the foul-mouthed press secretary by Kristin Scott Thomas). The sheikh splits his time between the desert of Yemen and the beautiful flowing streams through the mountains and glens of Scotland. He wants to bring the serenity and faith that fly-fishing brings to his people in the Middle East. Dr. Jones fishes but he is not religious. The sheikh found this a very confusing dichotomy in his character until they both realized that faith is not the same thing as religion.

"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" is very funny and approaches political satire level. We know, and Dr, Jones knows, that fish do not survive in the desert. So obviously this is all a big joke, but as we also all know, money and power outweigh common sense. But it starts becoming clear that this might actually work after we realize that the sheikh is driven by faith – not religion, nor money. And the media comes in and creates war heroes and emotions out of nothing. As I said, the film is very funny but it doesn't skewer the politicians or media as much as we would want them to. At that point it becomes a romantic comedy.

The genre shouldn't really matter though because it's so cute and charming, and enjoyable on every level. I'm assuming the book focuses more on the political and engineering maneuvers required to bring salmon to Yemen; here we just stuck with the characters. But I loved these characters.

Fly-Fishing and Romance Mix in a Charming Tale of Fulfilling Dreams Against the Odds

[EUyeshima · 8/10 · 12 March 2012]

This one did snag me with a lure most appealing. Be forewarned that this 2012 romantic dramedy is idiosyncratic and full of whimsy, which should come as no surprise as the director is Lasse Hallström whose most successful films ("Chocolat", "The Cider House Rules", "My Life As a Dog") turn on flights of fancy. Besides, it's certainly not every romantic comedy that encompasses hydro-engineering, environmentalism, Middle East tensions, and British populism. What holds these disparate subjects together is the pipe dream one Yemeni sheikh has to bring salmon fishing to the wadis of his homeland. Adapted by Simon Beaufoy ("Slumdog Millionaire") from a popular 2006 Brit-lit book by Paul Torday, the story primarily concerns the two people who get caught up in Sheikh Muhammad's dream - tweedy fisheries expert Dr. Alfred Jones, Fred to his friends, and super-efficient public relations consultant Harriet Chetwode-Talbot.

They are enlisted by Patricia Maxwell, the hell-on-heels press officer for the British prime minister who is desperate for a feel-good distraction from the bloodshed occurring in Afghanistan. She is immediately drawn to the human interest angle of the salmon fishing story as well as the revelation that there are at least two million anglers in the U.K. Fred thinks the idea is ridiculous and for good reason – the plan is to build a dam (which looks as big as Hoover Dam), construct an elaborate irrigation system, and stock the waters with 10,000 North Atlantic salmon, all for the hefty price tag of fifty million pounds. Alas, Fred gradually succumbs to the deeply spiritual nature and ecological sensibilities of the sheikh's quest as well as Harriet's quiet persistence and demure charms. Complicating matters is the fact that Fred is unhappily married, while Harriet is getting serious with a handsome soldier who gets shipped to Afghanistan.

Given the attractive leads, the romantic sparks are not surprising, but their cautious relationship and soulful connection provide much of the movie's unforced charm. The more fanciful events in the last half-hour do bring a level of incredulity for which Hallström has become renowned, and the terrorist subplot is woefully underdeveloped relative to the love story. However, the actors in exchange deliver nicely turned performances with Ewan McGregor ("Beginners") at his most modestly suppressed as Fred. Usually cast in brittle or saucy roles, Emily Blunt ("The Young Victoria") brings unfettered charm to Harriet without sacrificing her steely intelligence. Kristin Scott Thomas ("The English Patient") easily steals all her scenes as Maxwell with acidic panache, while Amr Waked ("Syriana") brings a charismatic calm to the sheikh. Kudos should go to Terry Stacey ("50/50") for his handsome cinematography which captures London, Morocco (subbing for Yemen), and especially Scotland in postcard-worthy tableaux.

A very entertaining movie that will appeal to everyone, not just fisherman. I recommend this. I say B+

[cosmo_tiger · 7/10 · 29 June 2012]

"You can't catch faith with a fishing rod." After Harriet (Blunt) contacts Dr. Alfred Jones (McGregor) about a Shiek from Yemen who wants to bring the sport of salmon fishing to his country he laughs it off. After being given no choice in the matter Jones begins to do just enough to keep his job. After meeting the Shiek and helping Harriet through a crisis his outlook begins to change. He puts everything he has into making the dream possible. The sign of a good movie is one that keeps you interested and makes you like it when you aren't even in the mood to watch it. I wanted to watch this based off the preview, but at the time I sat down to see it I really wasn't in the mood for a movie like this. It did start off a little slow but quickly sucked me in and by the end I was so into it that I couldn't remember why I didn't want to watch it. I have fished many times but I'm not what you would call an avid fisherman. The reason I say that is because this movie has the perfect balance of enough fishing to keep fisherman entertained, but not enough to make it all about fishing, much like the way "A River Runs Through It" did. The last twenty minutes of the movie makes you feel a proverbial "rollar-coaster" of emotions. Every few minutes something happens that changes how you feel while not turning into the cheesy and sappy ending that it could have been. Overall, a good movie that people who fish and those who don't will both enjoy. I liked it. I give it a B+.

A gentle movie about faiths of different stripes

[dfranzen70 · 7/10 · 20 January 2013]

A British fisheries expert is presented with a offer from a Yemenese sheikh to bring the sport of fly fishing to the Sahara in this charming, likable drama from Lasse Hallstrom. It features beautiful cinematography, even for those who don't particularly care about such things, and winning performances by Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, at its heart, is not a movie about fish at all; it is about different kinds of faith and the degree to which people place their trust in them. Alfred Jones (McGregor) is an expert in all things ichthyic and works for the UK's version of the Department of the Interior. He is approached by the representative of a idealistic sheikh who loves to fish. The sheikh has it in his head that bringing the art of fly fishing for salmon to the Yemen River would be beneficial to his people (the river is dried up in places and is, obviously, in the middle of a desert). It is not a popular idea, and Jones, before and after taking a perfunctory meeting with Harriet, dismisses it as ludicrous, unsound, and downright absurd. (Dr. Jones is a bit of a straight arrow, you see.) And it would seem that would be the end of it, except that the Prime Minister's press secretary (Kristin Scott Thomas) sees this as an opportunity to foster Arab-Anglo relations at a time when, well, they're not so good. Long story short – Jones has to make the project work.

There are many obstacles to overcome. The water must be the right temperature and with the right amount of oxygen. Fish have to be found, somewhere, and imported. Negotiations must be had with local tribes who feel that bringing water to the desert is an abomination of some sort. And meanwhile, pressure mounts and mounts for Jones to pull it all off, since the sheikh is paying handsomely to the British government.

Alfred – Fred – and Harriet each have home lives that are in their own unique turmoil. Fred has been married for several years with no children, and it's clear that the love he and his wife once shared in full has dwindled considerably; she suddenly takes a job in Geneva, promising to visit him every so often. As for Harriet, the first man she has fallen for is suddenly deployed to Afghanistan. Each takes solace in their Yemen project.

What works best in this movie is the chemistry between Blunt and McGregor; the former plays an optimist ready for new challenges, and the latter is more of a stick-in-the-mud with little sense of humor. Okay, you who are reading this know that this is a plain setup, as this is not just a drama: it a romantic drama. Luckily for all of us, the movie doesn't descend into double entendres, sideward glances, awkward silences, and the like. Blunt and McGregor manage to avoid making the romance too light, too believable; we shouldn't be able to easily guess precisely how things will wind up, and we can't. Theirs is a working relationship that neither acknowledges as being anything but, and each is torn between their subconscious feelings for each other and for their respective significant others.

At one point, the sheikh asks Jones if he is a man of faith, and the expert replies that he is not. The sheikh rightly points out, however, that fishing itself relies on faith – the hope that something will occur, however improbable. A man puts a lure into the water. The outcome is not predetermined; he will most likely reel it in untouched. But he has faith that a fish will nibble at it and take the bait. The sheikh feels the same way about his fishing project. He has faith that doing so will enable the poor communities surrounding the river to thrive.

In the end, this is a quiet, elegant movie about love and hope, both of fishing and humanity. Excellent performances by the leads and able direction by Hallstrom make this a sort of soft-edged drama with romance and a bit of action.

An enjoyable, quirky, very British film.

[roger-pettit1 · 7/10 · 10 April 2012]

"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" is a charming, quirky, very British film that, despite its flaws (notably, a number of plot implausibilities), is an enjoyable watch.

A somewhat eccentric sheikh has the idea of exporting the concept of salmon fishing from his estate in Scotland to the desert areas of the Yemen. Leading UK fishing scientist Dr Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) is recruited by rapacious British government PR specialist Bridget Maxwell (brilliantly played by Kristin Scott Thomas) to take charge of the project. Dr Jones becomes romantically attracted to the sheikh's PA (Emily Blunt), who is also involved in the scheme.

The amiable nature of the film, coupled with its gentle satire, give it the air of some of those Ealing comedies of the 1950s, such as "Passport to Pimlico" and "The Lavender Hill Mob". It is beautifully shot - there are some stunning scenes of the very picturesque Scottish countryside and landscape - and is extremely well acted by the entire cast, in particular the three leading actors. The script is also often very witty.

Some of the detail of the plot does not stand up to close scrutiny. Dr Jones saves the life of the sheikh in a ridiculously unbelievable manner. And it beggars belief that the one person who unexpectedly emerges alive and unscathed from an otherwise fatally unsuccessful military exercise overseas is Captain Robert Mayers, the partner of Harriet (the sheikh's PA). His appearance throws a spanner in the works of the burgeoning closeness between Harriet and Dr Jones. There are other far-fetched plot contrivances of this sort. But, somehow the film survives these difficulties to provide almost two hours of undemanding entertainment that is ideal family viewing. 7/10.

Absurb premise has movie-believability and nice chemistry

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 15 September 2013]

Sheikh Muhammed (Amr Waked) with unlimited resources wants to bring the sport of salmon fishing to the desert. It sounds really stupid, and the characters all know it. Sparing no expense, his representative Harriet (Emily Blunt) has to turn his dream into reality. That's when she contacts government fisheries expert Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) to study its feasibility. Of course, he is beyond awestruck.

This is a really likable British rom-com. At first glance, it's a stupid premise, but they actually worked it through to a point of movie believability. And it's fitting for a movie rom-com, because the chemistry between Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor also has movie believability. It's a fine piece of rom-com.

No catch

[YohjiArmstrong · 9 March 2015]

SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN is a throw-back to the bonkers-concepts Ealing films of the 1950s, with its story of a British government sponsored attempt to introduce fishing to the Yemen (not an obvious or easy choice). The pitch is that HMG wants some good Middle Eastern news for once - cue clichéd Western bleat about how we accidentally bombed some foreigners - so they get a hot civil servant, who doesn't seem to do any actual work, to team up with the cranky Scottish fishing expert - a typically bland Ewan McGregor - in order to make it work. Fair credit to the writer for turning a novel largely comprised of clippings from emails, diaries and letters into a comprehensible story but the problem is that it's kinda dull. The romance is predictable and passionless, the commentary on current affairs non-existent and the message is of the nice-but-naive lets-all-get-along sort. None of this is helped by rather flat direction. It's nice and undemanding in a Sunday teatime sort of way but feels like a missed chance for something funnier, more charming or incisive.

a film that charmingly gets away with its shortcomings

[jburtroald95 · 7/10 · 27 May 2012]

The latest heart-warmingly comedic effort from the largely unknown but quite prolific Swedish director Lasse Hallström is one of those unusual films that we choose to classify as comedies, but are actually very pensive, emotional dramas with the odd subtle serving of humour, and the occasional well-earned wacky laugh-out-loud moment. Although these are arguably not as indulgently entertaining as those bombastic screwball comedies, they are in the long run far more satisfying because they contain more than just an impulsive frivolous momentum of silliness. Having said that, the characters and narrative on offer here don't always carry a watertight dramatic, but they never completely lose hold of your interest and it helps to see this film with a sizeable audience, as the crowd's empathy for what plays out on screen is infectious.

The key personal human element of the story is the charmingly friendly relationship between enthusiastic fisheries expert Dr Albert Jones (Ewan McGregor) and his colleague Harriet (Emily Blunt) who ropes him into the seemingly impossible project of introducing the sport of salmon fishing to the very arid desert regions of the Yemen, on the request of a very optimistic and eloquent Sheik (Amr Waked). Harriet is convinced that their immense undertaking will eventually be successful, but Albert insists that he is too scientific to believe that such a thing is practically possible. It takes quite a while for the pair to get along, given his rather standoffish nature, leading to Harriet making a frustrated comparison between him and those with Asperger's Syndrome. Although he is a far cry away from having that condition, he is certainly puzzled by Harriet's frequent offers of friendship. He also with comforting her after her dashing boyfriend Robert (Tom Mison), the main entity keeping the relationship a tame platonic friendship, is sent off to fight in Afghanistan.

The events that unfold from this love triangle will hardly surprise any audience member with even the smallest exposure to love stories, and the fate of the project follows exactly the same narrative formula employed by most animated family comedies. The main point of interest is the left-field premise of fly-fishing, which is handled so well that if ever one questions the level of excitement that can be derived from a film about marine agriculture, the enchantment is soon replenished by its insightful philosophical comparisons with religious faith.

The two leads perform admirably and convincingly with the occasionally trite but mostly astute dialogue from Simon Beaufoy, adapted from Paul Torday's original novel, however it is the divine Kristin Scott Thomas who ultimately steals the show. Her character of a ruthlessly shallow press secretary to the Prime Minister, who is in full support of this project as a more cheerful Afghanistan news story, is not terribly essential to the story, and so has been sidelined in my earlier plot description, but she is a great asset to the film's entertainment value. Even though critics are constantly praising her performances in serious, dramatic roles, she is much more dynamic in her comedic outings as deliciously nasty matriarchs. Also noteworthy is an equally vicious characterisation from Rachael Stirling as Albert's classically unlikeable wife, with a much less playful tone.

Although it is a less effective and hard-hitting directorial effort from Hallström than Chocolat (2000) and What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), and the fact that, aside from Scott Thomas, nothing else is really deserving award recognition, but it does make for very memorable and pleasurable viewing.

How Refreshing!

[blsnd · 10/10 · 31 March 2012]

Just when I thought I was finished going to movies because so many are just plain vulgar, boring, and loud and not worth the investment of my time, along comes this near perfect piece of filmmaking. The story, the characters, the actors that were chosen, and the dialogue (refreshingly witty and at times thought provoking)... it all comes together in so enjoyable a fashion that I did not want the show to end! Aside from the foul-mouthed politicians (what a surprise, right?), there was not one minute of the movie I would change in any way. If you want to come away from a movie-going experience feeling good with plenty of information to discuss afterwards with your date, then RUN to see "Salmon Fishing in Yemen"!

I was surprised it's actually about salmon fishing, despite the title

[AfricanBro · 7/10 · 4 August 2021]

I was dubious at first, trying to imagine myself liking a fishing movie but it is more than just that, it is a romance movie among other things, although it does keep you guessing throughout whether or not the two lead actors are eventually gonna end up together or not, and that's what kept me watching. I found the dialogue quite alright as well. I would recommend it, it's just not a movie you'd invite your friends over for on a Friday night or something. I think you enjoy it best on your own.

The nearest I can get to comparing it to another movie is "seeking a friend for the end of the world" which I did like, but the story behind the two movies nothing alike.

Best Film at Toronto

[dhanson2k · 8/10 · 17 September 2011]

There's a line in the movie that goes, "We need a good story about the Middle East that doesn't have explosions." This is it! Hilarious and touching, Ewan, Emily, and Amr are fantastic. Ewan plays this homely, heads-down British government biologist to a T. Amr is a promising newcomer. And Emily is always amazing. I saw this at the opening in Toronto and the audience loved it. No wonder it was the first one sold at the festival. A big of an underdog, a lot of other people thought it was the best they saw too. Maybe they should change the name to something catchier. That's my only suggestion. I hope this changes how people view the middle east, even in a small way.

Contrived and unbelievable

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 4 May 2012]

Keen salmon fishing enthusiast Sheikh Muhammed (Amr Waked) decides it would be a good wheeze if he didn't have to travel all the way to Scotland, so decides to create a salmon river in the parched desert of his native Yemen. He is assisted in this by Miss Fixit dollybird Harriet double-barrelled something or other (Emily Blunt) and po-faced fish scientist Fred (Ewan McGregor) who has been put on the case by pushy civil servant Patricia Maxwell (Kristin Scott Thomas), who scents that there is political capital to be made.

I saw this whimsical comedy / drama / romance in a small cinema auditorium which was quite full: most of the other audience members were older than I am (and I'm pushing 60). They had gone, I think, on the assumption that here was a charming British comedy in a similar vein to Best Exotic Hotel Marigold (albeit loaded up with a few F bombs), and there was some chuckling, it is true.

The problem with this movie, though, is that it is terribly contrived and therefore completely unbelievable. The whimsical central notion would fall to pieces at the firs hint of serious feasibility studies, the Blunt / McGregor romance is barely credible, the 3rd side of the romantic triangle (or 4th if you include McGregor's wife) is obviously bolted on simply for a last minute bit of drama, and the denouements are scarcely as credible as the rest of it - I didn't believe any of the character behaviour for a second.

On the plus side, the scenery looks good, Waked gives a dignified and pleasing performance, and Scott Thomas is hilarious and steals the show.

What a disappointment

[chinch_g · 3/10 · 28 December 2012]

Been looking forward to this film for some time, having previously much enjoyed some other Lasse Hallstrom movies (especially 'My Life as a Dog', 'The Shipping News','The Ciderhouse Rules', even 'Casanova'). I certainly didn't expect anything profound, challenging or deeply engaging, but I was hoping for a good comedy, perhaps sharp and warm at the same time. But this was just an utter disappointment - or perhaps I am just getting fed-up with movie-making 'by numbers'. This film is not offensive, but it really doesn't do anything other than 'kill time'. The story is utterly predictable, the acting is wooden and emotionally totally unconvincing, the soundtrack is tired, the cinematography uninspired. It seems like everyone involved in this bit of feel-good fluff was just plain bored - so, by and large, the result, unfortunately, is just plain boring, too. One cannot help but wonder why they even bothered making this film, I could venture a guess, but, then, I don't want to be cynical... There is one exception: Kristin Scott-Thomas injects a much needed note of over the top humour and is always worth watching - thank you so much for that.

The Fishing Rod as a Tool of Defense vs. an Assassination

[KDiLiello · 6/10 · 2 April 2012]

I am hoping this is what it says in the script:

As Ewan and the Sheikh stand motionless in the river fishing, the nervous assassin waits behind a tree observing their non-movements. The assassin saunters a few feet out into the open. He lingers in the open field and decides to yell for a while before he pulls the trigger. Ewan McGregor pulls his fishing line out of the water and re-casts it one hundred feet through the air towards the yelling man and adds a magic spin on the line that whips the gun out of the assassins hand the moment before he can pull the trigger.

Anyway. I thought it was funny.

Although it is interesting to create a love story between two people that have other relationships that really have nothing wrong in them - for me, and maybe because of a lack of sexual chemistry between the main characters... I was not rooting for them to be together in the end. Harriet had a much more established and emotionally driven relationship with the man in the military and saw no reason for her to suddenly change her mind in the end of the film. It's time for more modern love stories and this was nearly there, and I respected the film for being realistic and not giving her a shallow boyfriend or him an incredibly cruel wife -- but maybe for this and other reasons the happy ending was not earned or justified by the rest of the film. It was an enjoyable experience, and I enjoyed all of the characters, but if it's supposed to be a satisfying love story I don't know why I was rooting for her to go with her military boyfriend at the end of the film.

Must-see for fans of Scott-Thomas

[rubenm · 6/10 · 16 May 2012]

If you want just one reason to go see this movie, how about this one: Kristin Scott-Thomas is absolutely marvelous in it. She plays the press secretary of the British prime minister, a ruthless bitch no-one dares to disagree with. Not even her own boss. Who would have thought Kristin Scott-Thomas could actually pull off a really sharp, funny role like this one? The scenes with her on screen are easily the best parts of the movie.

That doesn't mean the rest of the cast is substandard. Ewan MacGregor does a nice job as a Scottish stiff-upper-lipped gentleman who only drinks alcohol in weekends after 7 pm. Emily Blunt was a little bit less convincing as MacGregor's predictable love-interest, the 'short- skirted office girl' who turns out to be an efficient project manager. I would have loved to see someone like Carey Mulligan or Kelly Macdonald in this role, just to give it a bit more character.

The movie itself is quirky, witty, entertaining - a prime example of an intelligent satirical comedy only the British seem to make well. (Yes, I know director Lasse Hallström is Swedish). The story is bizarre: a rich sheik asks the help of British experts to introduce salmon in a Yemenite river. A completely crackpot project, that becomes more and more feasible as the movie develops.

The first part of the movie is the best, with funny situations and sharp dialogues. Towards the end, the movie loses its mildly surreal character and becomes an ordinary feel-good movie. (For those who have already seen it: I would have expected Emily Blunt's boyfriend, who miraculously survived Afghanistan, to die in some weird or banal accident, but it didn't happen).

For fans of Scott-Thomas, this is a must-see. For all others, it's a nice way to spend an evening.

If you enjoyed the book – this is a very different story

[SoylentGreenie · 6/10 · 6 May 2012]

You'll find that much that made the book so good has been changed: characters that didn't appear in person are given prominence, it has been made into a love story, which the book really isn't and the ending has been totally re-worked to give cinema audiences a feel-good-happy-ending which the writers must have believed they craved. There is so much more depth and subtle humour in the book, it's a shame that the changes in the movie had to be so radical. However, as a stand-alone movie the actors are excellent, Scotland and London have never looked better and the British humour and political irony are spot-on.

Offbeat romantic drama.

[barnabyrudge · 7/10 · 23 April 2012]

It's a strange experience to walk into a cinema and ask for a ticket to see Salmon Fishing In The Yemen. The title is so eccentric and unorthodox that it sounds vaguely ridiculous when said out loud. Salmon? Fishing? Yemen?!? First impressions hardly conjure up the greatest of expectations. In fairness to director Lasse Hallström, he has fashioned a pretty successful career for himself out of the eccentric and the unorthodox (What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, Chocolat and The Cider House Rules to name but a few)... and this adaptation of Paul Torday's novel proves to be another likably offbeat offering from the Swedish film-maker.

Consultancy agent Harriet Chetwoode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) works for a firm that represents an incredibly wealthy Arab sheik. Whenever the sheik (Amr Waked) is away from his homeland, his favourite place in the world is a lavish estate he has purchased in the Scottish Highlands, where he spends hour after hour fishing for salmon. The sheik becomes so obsessed with salmon fishing that he dreams bringing the sport to his home country of the Yemen, even though the idea seems to go against all rational sense. He charges Harriet with finding the right people to bring his impossible dream to reality. Enter humourless fisheries expert Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor), whose first reaction to the proposal is to dismiss it. Only later, after meeting Harriet and the sheik in person, does he realise how deadly serious they are. And when the Prime Minister's personal spin doctor Patricia Maxwell (Kristin Scott-Thomas) gets in on the act - using the project to promote good Anglo-Arab relations following a series of damaging news stories – Jones suddenly finds himself swept along by events that are too big and too fast for him to control. Out in the Yemen at the site of the project, Jones and Harriet find their very different lives unexpectedly converging. Him battling to salvage a failing marriage, her longing for news of her soldier boyfriend, missing-presumed-dead in Afghanistan; united in their desire to complete an enterprise that started out as one man's mad folly. Could it be that love is blossoming under the Arabian sun in this unlikely corner of the Yemen?

Too many romantic comedies are happy to serve up the standard ingredients, such as rampant clichés, contrived plotting, annoying characters, a predictable outcome and dismal dialogue. Thankfully, Hallström manages to successfully avoid most of these things in Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, helped in no small part by Simon Beaufoy's smart adapted screenplay. The characters come across much more believable than the types we usually find in this sort of film. McGregor's fisheries boffin, with his rather funny semi-autistic tendencies, is a wonderfully written character, giving the actor his quirkiest roles in years. Blunt's consultant is an absolute work-horse in the office but very sweet and vulnerable in private, played to perfection by the star after a recent career wobble (her embarrassing efforts in Gulliver's Travels can now, it seems, be forgotten). The film looks gorgeous throughout, offering a nice contrast between the bleakly beautiful Scottish glens and the fabulous desert scenery. Having said that, all these visual pleasantries and enjoyable performances wouldn't count for much if the story itself wasn't well executed... and the real joy of Salmon Fishing In The Yemen is what a refreshingly bright and vibrant film it is. Hallström succumbs to the occasional lapse – a splash of sentimentality here, a bit of toothless political satire there – but overall Salmon Fishing In The Yemen is an assured piece of work.

A sweet romantic comedy with an unusual backdrop

[Gordon-11 · 5 February 2013]

"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" has an unusual title, with the story unusually set in Yemen. It is refreshing to see a different background, standing out from the crowd of the run of the mill romantic comedy. Ewan McGregor's unhappiness in his marriage, and Emily Blunt's whirlwind romance are well portrayed. Kristin Scott Thomas' character is fun, and her instant messages with the Prime Minister are so hilarious. The Sheik's vision to provide self sufficiency for his people, and his people's viewpoint that the Sheik is interfering with the nature provide interesting food for thought. "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" is a sweet romantic comedy, and I enjoyed watching it.

Swimming upstream is in your DNA

[Laakbaar · 7/10 · 6 August 2013]

I can no longer deny that I enjoy quiet movies like this. This one is no exception. It's got the right amalgam of exotic location, topicality, character development, intelligent and articulate dialogue, good acting, philosophising, political commentary, understatement, humour and sappiness. It makes you feel good -- well, at least a little better -- about the world.

Strangely, the movie is not really about Yemen, salmon or fishing. I like its optimistic realism: things don't always work out the way you want or thought they would -- but you have to move on and make the best of it. This is what makes movies like this very unHollywood.

McGregor, Blunt, Waked and Thomas stand out as the real stars in the movie, but all the actors put in fine performances. McGregor's range and acting ability are astonishing; Waked was an interesting surprise.

It was impossible to know how Harriet would decide in the end. A real cliffhanger. I'm not sure she made the right choice!

Was the movie perfect? Of course not. I was not deeply moved by this movie. Also, perhaps Mison's character could have been developed more. It bothered me, too, that the sheikh had so much money to play with. I worried too much about the wisdom of the environmental re-engineering. I felt the social and political problems in Yemen were glossed over completely. (However, they could have picked any similar country or even an imaginary country.) Because of these factors, I'm reducing my score from 8 to 7.

I recommend the film to anyone who likes quiet, intelligent movies with a bit of romance. Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt fans will love this film.

Just a Joy to Watch

[Dan_L · 8/10 · 15 April 2012]

Seriously, "Salmon Fishing in The Yemen" is simply a joy to watch. Not since "Hugo" have I seen a film with so much heart to it. What makes this such a joy is its impish sense of humor, irreverence toward the British government, the simply delightful acting of leads McGregor and Blunt (who has never looked so good as she does here), the appealing nature of so many characters, and, perhaps most of all, its unpredictability. The audience enjoyed an awful lot of laugh out loud moments, a few tears, and a bit of excitement and danger. The film had you rooting for its the Sheik and the two lead characters -- and unlike all too many films, you don't see where it's going. If you enjoy a whopping good time at the flicks, this is a film you should see on the big screen while you still can.

Catch a salmon and feel happy...

[unnikrishnakurup · 6/10 · 9 July 2012]

The title is catchy, very catchy. By now you know it is not a conventional film. . The expectations go high.It is written by Simon Beaufoy(The Full Monty , Slumdog Millionaire to mention a few). The expectations go up again. You have to see it some how now!!

With this you sit down to watch this movie about the crazy idea of bringing in salmon fishing to an arid and dry land like Yemen.

The movie is beautiful and subtle in its own ways. By the time , the movie ends you know its not a great movie , but it did make you feel good. Those 2 hours were well spent. Thats what you expect from a a good movie isn't it. to make you feel good.

Ewan Macgregor is very effective in this role as a fishing expert with Aspergers syndrome. Many movies in the past like Forest Gump, Adam etc have shown people with Aspergers as such loving and caring characters , which makes you question that whether the movies writers wants to take out the 'dis' out of this disorder.

The writer had his visions before he sat down to write it, some as beautiful as the comparison of a salmon going upriver and the protagonist , going against the crowd to make things happen, or those nicely written tidbits about the comparison of faith and religion to fishing.

Technically speaking , the camera work showcases the beauty of the so called 'Yemen' , but as this movie being shot in Morocco , takes the originality out of it. The graphics where water is gushing out of the dam is a bit unreal. Tight and compact frames for the city scenes and wide landscape camera-work for the outdoors makes you feel as though you are very close to where its all happening may that be in an office cubicle or en route to a Scottish villa or even in the wide open deserts.

The story of how similar the two main characters are and how a crazy mans idea brings them close is the highlight of the film. I would recommend watching this movie to anyone.

Excellent feelgood gentle humour movie

[pschofield-292-682589 · 9/10 · 4 April 2012]

OK I had read the book and did'nt know quite what to expect from the film. It is different great in its own way. Its a very British film with all the gentle humour irony and brilliant acting you would expect. Kristin Scott Thomas steals it for me as the pushy Press Secretary to the Prime Minister and really deserves recognition as supporting actress. The scene where she is getting her kids off to school and her comments to her son are hilarious in street talk. Emily Blunt is delicious and Ewan McGregor plays his most understated but elegant role yet. Loved the scene with his wife Mary in the bedroom with him wearing flannel blue striped pyjamas Great casting, great acting, great script,great photography. What's not to like,oh the salmon were fantastic , don't actually know if any were hurt in the filming, but bet if they were they tasted great! Lovely movie

Finger licking good

[LOL101LOL · 7/10 · 9 July 2012]

Me being a bloke and all, I don't go out of my way to try and watch any type of romance on the big screen, just not my cup of tea! So here I am giving my 2 bits towards this warm, fuzzy well acted drama, and yes it has romance in it.

The story line is carefully acted out, not wooden, just a bit to clean, you sort of know where it will go to, don't get me wrong this film has a great cast, some well known faces, and some great new one's, not seen before faces, but why I really watched this film has part to do with the summary name, Finger licking good, Emily just makes any film with her in it very watchable, ...... anyway, if you want to see a film with a great cast, don't mind fishing, and Emily then give it a go.

7 out of 10

Mildly amusing tale of New Age Sheikh's bizarre project devolves into sentimental rom-com

[Turfseer · 4/10 · 5 December 2012]

The interesting thing about 'Salmon Fishing in Yemen' is that the title represents the film's sub-plot and not the main plot. A wealthy Yemeni Sheikh, Muhammed, seeks to introduce salmon fishing to Yemen. His handler in Great Britain, Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt), can't convince Alfred "Fred" Jones (Ewan McGregor), a government fisheries expert, to support the project since he believes that Yemen doesn't have the necessary cold temperatures and water to sustain salmon. But when the Prime Minister's cynical press secretary, Patricia Maxwell (Kristen Scott Thomas), needs a feel-good story to counter all the bad news coming out of Afghanistan, suddenly Fred is forced to make nice to Harriet and actually attempt to make the project work.

'Fishing in Yemen' works well when it concentrates on all the machinations involving the push to make the Sheikh's project succeed. Various obstacles crop up, including the fishing industry's objection to depleting UK's stock of fresh water salmon. In Fred's estimation, farm raised salmon still can be utilized, and he predicts that those kind of salmon will also swim upstream. There are also local obstacles to the Sheikh's project in Yemen itself. In a rather unlikely scene, Fred's thwarts the assassination of the Sheikh by a bumbling militant, through the intervention of his fishing reel.

But the bulk of 'Fishing' has to do with a love triangle between Fred, Harriet and Harriet's new boyfriend, Robert, who is suddenly missing in action during a secret military mission in Afghanistan. Rather predictably, Fred is on the outs with his workaholic wife, Mary, which opens up the possibility that he can start things up with Harriet. Before you know it, Robert is no longer missing, and Harriet must choose between the two men at film's end.

Instead of directly murdering the Sheikh and his friendly UK supporters, the local militants end up destroying his project by letting a dam open, flooding the whole area. Fair enough. But what about the resolution of the love triangle? Well, it's utterly predictable and sentimental--at the last moment, guess who Harriet chooses? And after the whole project is wiped out, the two lovebirds decide to remain in order to reignite the ruined experiment, ignoring the fact that they might be eventually murdered by the same militants who attempted to wipe the Sheikh out earlier as well as destroying his dream.

Time Out's David Fear couldn't have said it better when he describes the Sheikh as an "Arabic version of the Magical Negro'. The Sheikh reminds one more of an expert motivational speaker at a New Age Enlightenment convention, than a real Middle Eastern potentate from that part of the world. Amr Waked is fine in that role as are the other principals, Blunt, McGregor and Thomas.

I'm told that the original book the film was based on was much more satirical than the rom-com we find here. Salmon Fishing is mildly entertaining, but eventually devolves into some real gooey, sentimental stuff. One viewing really is enough.