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.
'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.