Adapted from the novel by Paul Torday, "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" (2011) tells the story of a Yemeni oil sheikh (Amr Waked) who wishes to artificially make a body of water in Yemen for the sole purpose of salmon fishing. Dr. Alfred Jones, a British fisheries expert (Ewan McGregor), balks at the idea, but he is forced to by the prime minister's press secretary (Kristin Scott Thomas) to pursue the project. Sent to Yemen with beautiful consultant Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) to accomplish this herculean task, Alfred finds himself to be in over his head. In addition, he begins to fall in love with Harriet whose boyfriend is away at war. Balancing work and love, Alfred begins to find faith in his impossible task, going against the grain in order to achieve his goals.
Varun Bhuchar
Directed by: Lasse HallstromWith: McGregor, Blunt, Scott Thomas,Waked107 minutesRated PG-13
The title alone might pique the casual viewer's interest, but to those not impressed by the title, the film features a solid cast and breathtaking travel scenes. The topic is the perfect premise for a film, filled with complexities, curiosities, the loss and regain of hope and a tasteful mixture of drama, romance and comedy.
Dana Venerable
Although I was predisposed to like the film based solely on its brilliant cast, the cliched ending was precariously close to being over the top. The film, however, was ultimately rescued by intelligent moments and extremely witty one-liners. Sydney Ayers
Pleasant from start to finish, this sugar-coated film is broken up only by Thomas' caustic sarcasm. While Alfred's extreme manners err slightly on the annoying side, his chemistry with the delightful Harriet adds a layer of jet-puffed sweetness, although audiences will certainly wish for more to come of it. The storyline regarding Harriet's presumed-to-be-dead solider also boyfriend feels a bit sloppy and cliched. Kate Sullivan
