Featured Audience Ratings

• Cynthia S

  
  Really nice movie! Enjoyable. Sweet. Funny. Good acting from a notable British cast. Although I am not so sure about the plausibility of their venture, I really enjoyed their interactions. Kristin Scott Thomas's role was hilarious! I also appreciated the courtesy that each player… More
  Really nice movie! Enjoyable. Sweet. Funny. Good acting from a notable British cast. Although I am not so sure about the plausibility of their venture, I really enjoyed their interactions. Kristin Scott Thomas's role was hilarious! I also appreciated the courtesy that each player showed for the others' culture. It was sweet, sensitive, and promoted the "against all odds" idea. Nicely done!

• Everett J

  
  I got a copy of this earlier in the year and didn't watch it because it looked boring and didn't want to make the time. Then the Golden Globe nominations came out and this is up for a lot of Comedy awards, so I figured I would go back and give it a chance. Since it is up… More
  I got a copy of this earlier in the year and didn't watch it because it looked boring and didn't want to make the time. Then the Golden Globe nominations came out and this is up for a lot of Comedy awards, so I figured I would go back and give it a chance. Since it is up for comedy awards, I assumed it would be hilarious, but it is not. This is a romantic drama through and through with an uplifting story about faith. How anyone thinks this is one of the best five comedies of the year, I'll never know. Ewan McGregor plays a fish expert who helps a consultant(Emily Blunt) realize a sheikh's(Amr Waked) dream of bringing fly fishing to the desert. He thinks it is impossible, but finds ways to make it possible while falling for Blunt. It's not a bad movie at all, kind of bland, but it's not bad. McGregor is one of the most underrated actors today and here he does a great job. Blunt is ok, and their chemistry probably could have been better, but it's better than most. If there is one reason to call this a comedy it's because of Kristen Scott Thomas's press secretary. She has some great lines and is the reason for the 2 times I laughed during the movie. If anyone should get any nominations for comedy in this it's her(she got nothing, btw). A lot of people I know will probably never think twice about watching this, but if your ever bored and just wanna watch a "feel good movie", pop this in. Might surprise you.

• Louis R

  
  Watery, messy, mixed up and bitty "romantic" "comedy" without enough clear links. Occasionally funny and engaging but far more frequently squirm-inducingly cringy, contrived and unfocussed.

• Raymond W

  
  Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is an inspirational film featuring fine performances from Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. The story overall pretty well thought out, but there were some parts of the film where I felt like I should've been filled in on more details. Some of the… More
  Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is an inspirational film featuring fine performances from Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. The story overall pretty well thought out, but there were some parts of the film where I felt like I should've been filled in on more details. Some of the supporting cast's acting was unbelievable and I was shocked to see that some of the parts spoken in other languages were dubbed over, but that it was so obvious that what was being said on film was different from what was dubbed over it. Reserved, fun, emotional, and ultimately unsatisfying, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen almost makes the jump to safe ground on the ladder.

• Nate Z

  
  Salmon Fishing in the Yemen will likely not be outdone in 2012 for strangest title of a mainstream film release. It is indeed about the crazy idea of bringing salmon to an emerging system of rivers in a Middle Eastern country. You'd expect some cultural conflicts and even some… More
  Salmon Fishing in the Yemen will likely not be outdone in 2012 for strangest title of a mainstream film release. It is indeed about the crazy idea of bringing salmon to an emerging system of rivers in a Middle Eastern country. You'd expect some cultural conflicts and even some can-do uplift by the end. What I wasn't expecting was a hokey romantic comedy to take hold of the movie. Ewan McGregor plays a repressed fish expert who partners up with Emily Blunt, whose company represents a wealthy Yemen sheik with a cockamamie dream. I felt that the sheer magnitude of project, transforming an environment, the triumph of the human spirit and cooperation, would be compelling enough. But this trifle of a romance demands the greater attention. There's a contrived plot point where Blunt's boyfriend of three weeks is presumed dead in Afghanistan. Guess who comes back later? This entire storyline hinges around the fact that she was only with the guy for three weeks; even she admits, "I never got to know him better." The coupling feels extra tacky because McGregor is married too. Sure his marriage appears to be in a rut, but does that excuse his behavior? The political satire of the British government also feels pretty tin-eared and forced, like they're compensating with volume for wit. Then there are the corny moments like McGregor foiling an assassination attempt on the sheik with a fly fishing rod. Yes, he whips it around the attacker's arm like Zorro. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a nice enough little film, at least it would have been had it ever been allowed to jettison the yoke of a lackluster romantic comedy. Nate's Grade: C+

• Manu G

  
  Make the Improbable possible. Great Movie! 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,… More
  Make the Improbable possible. Great Movie! 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. The film has elements of romantic comedy, environmentalism, foreign relations drama, and insight-fulness 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. In the leading roles, Ewan McGregor and Eva Green have a good chemistry with each other, and despite being very famous actors, they are both perfectly credible as two normal people in a labor situation which invites the romance almost by accident. "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" is a pleasure to watch and I can assure you you won't feel disappointed. Unles you are not the kind who appreciates a good old fashioned story, simple and yet full of determination. A visionary sheik believes his passion for the peaceful pastime of salmon fishing can enrich the lives of his people, and he dreams of bringing the sport to the not so fish-friendly desert. Willing to spare no expense, he instructs his representative to turn the dream into reality, an extraordinary feat that will require the involvement of Britain's leading fisheries expert who happens to think the project both absurd and unachievable. That is, until the Prime Minister's overzealous press secretary latches on to it as a 'good will' story. Now, this unlikely team will put it all on the line and embark on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible, possible.

• KJ P

  
  Due to the solid performances from it's two leads (Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor), "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" is a quirky little film. As the sport of Salmon fishing is not allowed/impossible in the "Yemen," there has been speculation on letting rivers run… More
  Due to the solid performances from it's two leads (Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor), "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" is a quirky little film. As the sport of Salmon fishing is not allowed/impossible in the "Yemen," there has been speculation on letting rivers run through the desert, in order for people to fish globally. It is a simple story accented with amazing scenery, great acting, and some stunning underwater visuals. Most of the time I felt like I was watching a series of short films that were linked together, because I felt like there was not enough development anywhere in the film. People are motivated to do things and that is where the movie takes off. The chemistry is great and that is what sold me. This film is very average in my opinion, but it was a nice watch once.

• Alexander D

  
  Due to much of the rest of the film, SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN isn't wholly undercooked. There is a sense of delicious entertainment that seems to permeate the surrounding plot. In a sidebar story, the dramedy presented a growing love between the characters of Emily Blunt and… More
  Due to much of the rest of the film, SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN isn't wholly undercooked. There is a sense of delicious entertainment that seems to permeate the surrounding plot. In a sidebar story, the dramedy presented a growing love between the characters of Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor. Usually, "second story romances" are one of my biggest cinematic pet peeves, but the idea worked surprisingly well, at a subtle, well-acted, believable standard that was no distraction from the more significant plot. The film, though perhaps lacking in the dramatic area it needs to achieve, has a sweet, charming sense of humor, one that sets the mood, evokes a chuckle every once in a while, and adds a hint of enthusiasm into the film. Though SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN is nowhere near perfect, it presents what I love best about sports-oriented films. It makes me care about the subject matter, despite my critical dislike for the activity. But that's in its beautiful feeling, not its lackluster presentation. "fish" for the rest of the review at themoviefreakblog.com

• Carlos M

  
  A silly hodgepodge of comedy and romance that tries hard to be charming and profound but ends up being just a corny melodrama, missing the promise of a political satire to offer instead a lot of preachiness and ludicrous comparisons between fishing and faith.

• Tired of P

  
  Question: Do you feel like you are set on a path to follow or please others, and it goes against your nature to turn around and walk another way? You don't even realize you are stagnant in your own life; but what happens when you meet that one person who helps you change… More
  Question: Do you feel like you are set on a path to follow or please others, and it goes against your nature to turn around and walk another way? You don't even realize you are stagnant in your own life; but what happens when you meet that one person who helps you change direction? Well, they become your savior and in return you become theirs because you help them to join your path - a route that the you two were destined to combine. I was lucky enough to go to a screening for Salmon Fishing in the Yemen the other day as this film is not opening until the first week of March 2012; and I was grateful for the viewing because this movie was just delightful. When film-makers combine romance, drama and comedy it has all the elements to make you feel good, and this movie did just that. Love it when that happens. Actually by the end of the film my cheeks hurt because I realized for nearly the entire film I was smiling. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is just that - a story about a sheik from Yemen, who has a home in Scotland and adores fly fishing so much that he wants to create a place to fish in his native country. A firm that represents the sheik's money is put in charge of getting the seemingly impossible task achieved. Harriet Chetwode-Talbot, played by Emily Blunt, is the person who must persuade a reluctant fisheries expert, played by Ewan McGregor, to help the sheik obtain his vision. A sweet and unusual friendship is sparked between the quiet, reserved (and dare I say nerdy) Scotsman and the go-getter, albeit overly-emotional at times, English woman. I enjoyed watching them together on-screen; two strangers who showed up in each other's lives and end up altering each other's paths in profound ways. I will skip over talking about whom stars in it because you all heard enough about him from me, but I must talk about Kristin Scott Thomas and her part in the film. She plays the press secretary for the Prime Minister of Britain and her character was absolutely hysterical! She was the comedic relief in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, and I am not quite sure I have ever seen her play a character like this before now. Usually she plays quiet, sometimes sullen characters but in this film she is full of energy and is a takes-no-bullshit type of gal. Loved it. Wait until you see how she talks to people - even her own children. Emily Blunt was equally as intriguing but still my favorite performance of her's is from The Devil Wears Prada. However, in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen it was a delight to see a normally strong female character show some vulnerability when her supposed path is drastically shifted, and then an unassuming man gently comforts her with just his mere presence. I enjoyed those scenes the most. This movie is based on the book of the same name by Paul Torday and directed by Lasse Hallstrom, a favorite of mine due to his ability to take you into an emotional journey with his slight off-beat vision. (Chocolat, Hachi: A Dog's Tale, What's Eating Gilbert Grape and The Cider House Rules, etc...) Directed by Lasse Hallström, CBS Films, 2012 Starring: Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, Amr Waked, Rachael Stirling, Tom Mison and Kristin Scott Thomas. Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance. My favorite thing: Kristin Scott Thomas AND hearing Ewan McGregor's Scottish accent. My least favorite thing: A little bit predictable especially at the climax of the film. It had all right indie film qualities until that part. Rating: PG-13 Length: 112 minutes Review: 7 out of 10

• Mark H

  
  A fishing obsessed sheik (Amr Waked), his beautiful legal representative (Emily Blunt), a skeptical fisheries expert (Ewan McGregor) and an overzealous press secretary (Kristin Scott Thomas) all collide in this oh-so-precious drama about introducing British salmon to the Wadis of the… More
  A fishing obsessed sheik (Amr Waked), his beautiful legal representative (Emily Blunt), a skeptical fisheries expert (Ewan McGregor) and an overzealous press secretary (Kristin Scott Thomas) all collide in this oh-so-precious drama about introducing British salmon to the Wadis of the Yemen. Trying to care that a billionaire gets his way is pretty difficult. I mean it's not like we're attempting to eradicate hunger or something. It's indulging his dream so he can fish for sport. Ok so they shove in some nonsense concerning the Prime Minister of Yemen wanting to promote improved international relations, which makes absolutely no sense by the way. In the beginning we're treated to the snippy banter between Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt that illustrate how much they can't stand each other. These two couldn't possibly fall in love, right? One look at that movie poster will tell you otherwise. It's exceptionally formulaic. Oh and I don't advise watching the trailer as it effectively manages to boil down the entire narrative to its 2 1/2 minute essence. I will admit this is a strong cast. I like the ensemble a great deal. Kristin Scott Thomas is particularly over-the-top and she gave a little life to the proceedings. If all you desire out of a movie is a gentle comedy of manners with appealing actors, you could do worse. But you could do a lot better too. Local Hero anyone? Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is the kind of film that gives trifling a bad name. The story is just so insignificant. My advice? Throw this fish back in the water. It's not fully developed.

• Josh M

  
  Salmon fishing... is a charming, quirky romantic comedy that succeeds almost entirely due to the charm and chemistry of its couple, Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. The premise is intriguing, but the story is filled with a great many unlikely and overly convenient plot machinations,… More
  Salmon fishing... is a charming, quirky romantic comedy that succeeds almost entirely due to the charm and chemistry of its couple, Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. The premise is intriguing, but the story is filled with a great many unlikely and overly convenient plot machinations, especially as the movie reaches its inevitable, artificial happy ending. That the whimsical and often cheap script works at any level is due to the talents of Swedish director Lasse Hallstrom, who is a strong actor's director and sensitive, especially with delicate and heartfelt material. The poor man has saddled himself with so many studio turkeys in recent years (It's a living, I guess) it's hard to remember his best stuff (My Life As a Dog, Cider House Rules) is really quite special. Vivacious Emily Blunt's (she's some sort of publicist), is retained by a suave, billionaire Yemeni sheikh (Amr Waked). Her job is to to enlist the U.K. fishing ministry to help stock a dried out Wadi in Yemen with both a flowing river and Atlantic salmon, so he can fly fish in his home country. The Brits go for it, looking for a good news U.K/Middle East story, (Kristen Scott Thomas is the PM's fixer on this one). They need to recruit repressed Fisheries biologist Ewan McGregor, an anal retentive, repressed Scot mired in a stale marriage. Wackiness and unlikely romance ensues. The obstacles to these two crazy kids coming together are Blunt's budding relationship with a solider who is about to be stationed in a war zone, and McGregor's stale marriage to a pill of a wife. All the secondary characters are one dimensional, especially the usually superb Scott-Thomas's cynical and vulgar political hack. Except for the sheikh, they all seem like they are in another, much broader film. However, the sophisticated London locations, the fly fishing scenes in the Scottish Highlands and the Yemeni desert are nice to look at. The special effects at bringing the salmon into the desert and damming the river are quite effective and fun to watch. However, it's Blunt and McGregor's film. These two are utterly charming, intelligent, human and vulnerable. Both of them are as comfortable in comedies as in heavy dramas, and that's saying a lot about their range of talent. I cared deeply and wanted these two people to get together, and isn't that what you want every Rom Com to pull off? And they don't even kiss once in the whole movie! The film tries to raise some interesting issues (even a kind of Arab Spring theme, and a conservationist issue around the salmon) but does nothing with them. They are just cheap plot devices to bring these two together. The most annoying plot detail is Blunt's relationship with a solider bound for Afghanistan, who may or may not have survived an attack. I won't ruin it for you, but the movie certainly will. In any case, this is well worth a plane ride or a rental on demand, but leave your most stringent critical faculties at the door and enjoy Emily, Ewan and the nice pictures.

• Bathsheba M

  
  And to think I almost missed this one! This is one movie were the trailers were definitely not the best parts of the movie. That's because there was a real subtlety to the story telling and a pace which allowed the heft of the message to be absorbed. The message is brilliant:… More
  And to think I almost missed this one! This is one movie were the trailers were definitely not the best parts of the movie. That's because there was a real subtlety to the story telling and a pace which allowed the heft of the message to be absorbed. The message is brilliant: the authentic you can be subverted by ease and comfort, but it's always there, waiting for a catastrophe, a reason! to release itself. The cinematography was beautiful. The acting was low-key, just what the script called for. The use of text and email--which is everywhere now, because that's how we communicate--was handled with just the right amount of weight and humor, I thought. Kirstin Scott Thomas was over the top wonderful.

• danny d

  
  i struggled with this film a bit. i love the cast, especially blunt, and i thought the story was delightful, but the script was way too heavy and battered with far too many forced elements, especially the exhausting love quadrangle. there was just too much involved to allow the… More
  i struggled with this film a bit. i love the cast, especially blunt, and i thought the story was delightful, but the script was way too heavy and battered with far too many forced elements, especially the exhausting love quadrangle. there was just too much involved to allow the story to develop naturally so things had to be stuffed in, and the film took itself more seriously than the story allowed. a decent watch by forgettable.

• Anatoliy D

  
  3 stars

• J P

  
  Not a bad film, but not necessarily a good one either. The title implies that this is a really boring piece of work, but that actually isn't the case. This movie is a feel good dramedy about two people who work on a project to bring sport fishing into the dry desert of Yemen.… More
  Not a bad film, but not necessarily a good one either. The title implies that this is a really boring piece of work, but that actually isn't the case. This movie is a feel good dramedy about two people who work on a project to bring sport fishing into the dry desert of Yemen. It's more fun than it sounds I swear. Along the way, the two people (McGregor & Blunt) deal with relationship issues, setbacks in the project, etc. It's not a bad movie. I watched a prescreening of this and I wasn't really excited to see this film; I was just excited I would get to see this film before YOU and the general public! That in itself was awesome. I arrived to the prescreening late because I told my friend we needed to be at the theater 20 minutes BEFORE it started so that I could pick up my free passes and see the movie. My friend for some reason thought I said 20 minutes AFTER and we literally had 10 minutes to get to the theater. So of course, when we got there the movie was already underway. I was so pissed. My first EVER prescreening and my dumb friend was too dumb to get there on time. I would've gone without her, but the passes were under my name and she was a guest, so I had to wait for her. BUT ANYWAY....I only missed the first 10 or so minutes of the film. The writing was very good throughout the entire movie. The script was funny, cute and charming. It gave all the characters really good lines. The writing was the best part about the film, I think. The only problem I had was the lack of chemistry between the leads. The movie makes you wonder who Blunt and McGregor will choose: their current boy/girlfriend or each other? I honestly didn't feel like Blunt and McGregor were compatible at all. They didn't have that chemistry between them that made me believe they were meant for each other. The acting was really good, but they just didn't seem right for each other. Actually all of the relationships seemed underdeveloped and lacked that spark that makes the audience believe they really are a couple that loves each other. McGregor & his girlfriend, Mcgregor & Blunt, and Blunt & her boyfriend all lacked chemistry. They didn't even seem like friends let alone lovers. I honestly didn't care about who got together with who. The reality of the relationships just wasn't there. The plot was okay. The whole project about the salmon fishing was kinda unrealistic. It just seemed like a stupid and poorly thought out idea to begin with. The whole project seemed like a waste of time. I still can't get over the title: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. Does that title make you want to see the movie? Does it sound at all interesting? It sounds like a boring documentary I'd be forced to watch in high school. The title doesn't do the movie justice. The movie is very funny and enjoyable. I don't know what they were thinking giving the movie such a shitty name. The salmon fishing idea otherwise would've been painfully boring to watch, but this movie miraculously pulls it off....it's just really unrealistic. The part of the movie that completely ruined it for me was the ending. I absolutely HATED it. *SPOILERS to follow* At the end, Blunt finds out her boyfriend in the armed forces had survived the terrorist attack, and was no longer MIA like she had previously been told. Blunt for some reason likes McGregor, but her feelings are conflicted when her boyfriend returns to her. At the very end, Blunt's boyfriend tells her that he only survived because the thought of seeing her again kept him going. He then told her that she doesn't owe him anything (i.e. she can dump him if she wants). After hearing this, Blunt walks away and hugs McGregor and they get together. Blunt's boyfriend just stands in the distance and watches. Then when he realizes she dumped him (she didn't even have the courtesy to tell him to his face it's over), he drives away ALONE. It was terrible. What a bitch. The guy is a war hero and she dumps him? He's been through hell and he's hot and he loves her and she DUMPS him? It was an awful ending. I guess it wasn't that bad though because none of the characters really connected to each other. None of them had any chemistry so it was hard to believe ANY of them had relationships with one another. Like when Blunt finds out her boyfriend is MIA she goes into a depressed state and sulks for weeks...but she only knew the guy for like a few weeks, so how could she be so wrecked? I don't know. I just wish it had worked out for the army guy because he was so cute. I'm not sure I would watch this movie again. It was okay, but I hardly doubt the younger crowd like me would enjoy watching this. The prescreening audience mostly had middle aged people in it. A few teenagers walked out because they didn't like it, and I can understand why. It's interesting, but not interesting at the same time if that makes any sense. It was interesting for me because of the script, but the actual premise was boring and the intended humor wasn't really that funny. I smiled, but didn't laugh...not unless it's the Hangover.

• Mark A

  
  Nearly as perfect as a romantic comedy can get, this film had me from the opening scenes. An arrogant, self-important prig, Dr Jones, played by Ewan McGregor, gets shanghaied into providing the current administration a Public Relations plum by working with the well-prepared (and… More
  Nearly as perfect as a romantic comedy can get, this film had me from the opening scenes. An arrogant, self-important prig, Dr Jones, played by Ewan McGregor, gets shanghaied into providing the current administration a Public Relations plum by working with the well-prepared (and well-connected) Ms Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt), who handles the investment portfolio for an ultra-rich Yemeni Sheikh, Sheikh Muhammed. The leads were perfectly cast, while the supporting cast added just the right flavor to all that surrounded the core story. The only negative I could detect had to do with the current love interest of Ms Chetwode-Talbot, but the objection was so minor as to not matter at all. A good story with a feel-good ending and a proper payday for the mild villainy of some of the peripheral characters.

• The Movie W

  
  The unlikely pairing of Blunt and McGregor team up to help a Yemeni sheik realise his dream of bringing salmon fishing to his land. Were I one for conspiracy theories I would question the coincidence of this being released the same weekend as the controversial Bahrain grand prix,… More
  The unlikely pairing of Blunt and McGregor team up to help a Yemeni sheik realise his dream of bringing salmon fishing to his land. Were I one for conspiracy theories I would question the coincidence of this being released the same weekend as the controversial Bahrain grand prix, given that this is essentially a propaganda piece for every egomaniacal dictator in the Arab world. The message here is "follow your dreams", but when said message is delivered by an Arab sheik who never had to work a day in his life, forgive me for not getting on board. The real message is if you have enough money nothing is impossible. It also helps if you control some oil and can make western nations bend over backwards to help you. McGregor plays an expert from the fisheries department and he's a deeply unlikable character who never fully redeems himself at any point. Why someone as beautiful and witty as Blunt's character would be attracted to him is beyond me. As if it wasn't difficult enough to root for this budding relationship, the movie asks us to make a dodgy moral judgement. Blunt's boyfriend is a soldier who has gone MIA in Afghanistan so if we are to take McGregor's side we basically have to hope a soldier has been killed. This would be a fine dramatic twist if the situation wasn't played so lightly. Heaven forbid a war widow ever sits down to watch this. The attempts at comedy are painful, scenes depicting text messages between the prime minister and Scott-Thomas' foul-mouthed press officer particularly cringeworthy. Blunt and Scott-Thomas are very capable comic performers but McGregor seems to be getting worse with every role he takes. His comic timing is terrible, especially when paired with the magnetic Blunt, an actress who justifies that wornout cliche "the new Audrey Hepburn". There's also a crassly pro-religious message throughout this, McGregors scientist is shown as a man who lacks warmth and humanity because his life is missing "faith". If I was as rich and powerful as a Yemeni sheikh I'd have a lot of faith too.

• Cameron J

  
  Wow, that title makes this film sound so startlingly boring, and it's about, well, as the title tells you, salmon fishing, so I almost have to praise this title for making a film like that sound somehow less boring. Well, in all fairness, the fact that it's about fishing in… More
  Wow, that title makes this film sound so startlingly boring, and it's about, well, as the title tells you, salmon fishing, so I almost have to praise this title for making a film like that sound somehow less boring. Well, in all fairness, the fact that it's about fishing in the Middle East by Ewan McGregor definately makes it sound like it's going to be reasonably lively, though let me tell you, don't get too excited kids, because this is just some dull little spot in the Middle East and Ewan McGregor is just playing some Asperger's syndrome-striken dude named Dr. Jones, and I definately don't mean Dr. Indiana Jones, so don't exactly go in expecting Obi-Wan Kenobi fighting terrorists and busting out in grandly theatrical musical covers of Elton John's "Your Song". I don't know if I myself was so much expecting that when I walked into the film, as much as I was hoping for that, and when I heard that it also deals with McGregor's Fred Jones character developing a friendship with a Sheikh, I was also hoping for a climax in which Sheikh Muhammad betrays Fred Jones, and thus they engage in a fishing pole duel over lava... that's in the Middle East for some reason (I have enough trouble believing that the Middle East has water). Yeah, as much as such Middle Easterns as Sheikhs still keep getting mistaken for terrorists in the US, I'm sure they appreciate me saying that I expect them to betray someone. I can think of plenty of people who would say that it's enough of an offense that I'm comparing a Sheikh to Hayden Christensen in the "Star Wars" prequels, and to the people who think that, I say shut up, I actually liked Hayden Christensen in those films, yet even if I did find him boring in those films, chances are that he would still be more exciting than this film...'s title. To my surprise and relief, the film isn't nearly as slow as I was expecting, and does, in fact, "reel" you in more often than not. Still, don't quite go in expecting this to be quite as heavy as that silly Obi-Wan vs. terrorist scenario I came up with earlier, for although this final product is certainly more interesting than its title, make no mistake, like the art of fishing itself, watching this film is going to require a bit of patience. I joke about how the title and subject matter sounds like the makings of a bore of a film, but really, the actual plot details are rather interesting and supplementary to the film's being actually more entertaining than not in the long run, though considering the high-caliber dry Britishness behind it and director Lasse Hallström's taking on such other films as the fine yet perhaps too slow "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", I was going in expecting this film to dull out here and there. When it comes down to it, the film never really dulls out, nor even dries up all that much, though neither does it "hook" all that much, "drifting" along steadily but surely, particularly during the development segment, which doesn't really make for all that sharp of a "hook". Like the rest of the film, the first act is never dull, as there's still juice in the air and eventfulness in the structure, though hardly all that much, as things get to be rather repetitious and overlong in exposition's going padded to the point of losing steam after a while, and very shortly thereafter, losing what it was hoping to "catch": you. After that, the development segment "flows" into the "body" (As in body of water), the film picks up, though still never really goes that far, for although it never gets as repetitious or do-little as the development segment, the body - nay - entirety of the film after the development segment remains rather repetitious and underwhelming, with little eventfulness, little bite and, ultimately, an unfortunate inability to build up all that much steam, and for this, I don't know if I can so much blame director Lasse Hallström or even screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, but rather, Paul Torday for the premise behind his book and its adaptation. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Torday's book is a decent read, as its premise sounds built more to unravel better on paper, rather than on-screen, for although this film's subject matter is rather interesting, there's just very little meat to it, or in other words, not a whole lot of "bait to bite at" (Sorry for the pun-ishment kids, but I can't help these fishing puns), lacking the consequence and intrigue needed to justify the more artistic ambitions and talents that go into this film and just end up drying the film up, certainly not to the point of being all that slow, let alone all that dull, though still decidedly to the point of rendering the film very predictable and a bit bland. The film is what it is, it's just that what it is is a predictable fluff piece, only with a bit more relative drama and distinguished talent that never really goes all that firmly backed up by especially strong potential, thus leaving the final product to not stand all that strong, as a whole. Still, as the film stands, it's still a pretty enjoyable watch, for although it was never going to deliver all that much, the film isn't as limp as I make it sound, largely because of the talent that stands behind it, which may not be enough for the film to strike all that deep, but win you over through and through. As I said, Paul Torday's story, while a bit lacking in all that much meat, remains rather interesting, not just its studies upon certain cultures and the science and business of relocating salmon to an area to which they are indigenous for sport (Fishing, one of the few things in the world that's much less interesting than the science and business around it), but in its story, for although there's not a whole lot of bite to the film's or, likely, the book's concepts, the stories and characters have a kind of livliness to them that holds the potential of winning you over more than losing you, based on charm alone. When it comes down to translating Paul Torday's original concepts to the screen, Simon Beaufoy, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of "The Full Monty", "Slumdog Millionaire" and "127 Hours", of course, delivers as sharply as he can, delivering on his traditional Brit-tastically sharp, dryly clever and charming dialogue and humor to compliment, albeit rather limp - being that Beaufoy's hands are tied by the restraint in the source material -, yet generally smooth story structure and characterization, made all the more relatively livlier in directorial execution. Lasse Hallström is, of course, a directing veteran with plenty of justly well-recieved and notable titles to which his name is attached, yet in recent years, he tends to shoot for fluffier material such as this and do little, if anything to raise the final product past decent, yet inspiration tends to stay intact, to a certain degree, and certainly stands here, for although Hallström makes no effort to carry this film past workmanlike, he puts enough calm inspiration into this project to give a certain livliness (Though rather, unfortunately, not without considerable sentimentality) in what handful of dramatic points there are, as well as a consistent kind of sharp charm that keeps it more entertaining than not and from dulling out, while the performers add an extra kick to keep your attention sustained more often than not. Obviously, there's little for the performers to do, yet this remains a cast studded with talents who plays their parts quite a bit, if not relatively considerably more than adequately, and certainly with a lot of charisma, whether it be Kristin Scott Thomas as the strong and firm yet reasonably down-to-earth business and family woman, or Amr Waked as the noble yet also down-to-earth and lively Sheikh, with particular standouts within the cast behind found behind the film's central focuses, or at least just one of them, for although Emily Blunt delivers on the occasional piece of impressive emotional range that gives what drama there is some weight, while keeping consistent with charm, come on, she's going up against a Scot, and it's hard to beat that charm, especially when we're talking about Ewan McGregor. I love Ewan McGregor and think that he's an excellent actor, something that this film definately doesn't have the material to remind us of, though it's a good thing that this film offers a lot of opportunity for charm, something that McGregor is definately no stranger to, so sure enough, McGregor sparkles with charisma, playing up the Fred Jones character's moderate Asperger's syndrome with an authentic restraint and sophistication for you to feel the innocent uncertainty and intriguing cerebral sharpness in a way that makes neither too light or too heavy of Jones' condition, while incorporating a kind of natural humanity that further defines Jones and leaves McGregor to smoothly slip into his role, yet not at the expense of the charm that is just so distinctly Ewan McGregor. Each performer plays his or her part as well as he or she can, delivering on individual, colorful and altogether memorable charm that, when combined, creates the static chemistry needed to further sell this film and make it as enjoyable as it is. This film never really stood a chance of delivering as genuinely good, being not much more than fluff, yet on that level, the film still doesn't deliver too upstandingly, but keeps you going more often than not, and by the end, expect to walk away feeling generally warmed to and by the final product, though not necessarily all that rewarded. Bottom "line" (If you catch my "drift"), the film is what it is: a highly predictable fluff piece with little bite in its subject matter, made a bit worse by some repetition, the occasional bit of padding and something of a somewhat disengagingly dry atmosphere spawned from perhaps too intelligent and reasonably artistic sensibilities, thus leaving the final product to fulfill its potential of being not much more than decent, which remains a ways away from terribly mediocre, let alone contempt, for although the film doesn't strike terribly deep, its concepts and subject matter remains rather interesting and charming, especially when brought to life by Simon Beaufoy's clever and generally well-structured screenply, Lasse Hallström's (mostly) naturally flawed yet charmingly reasonably inspired direction and a slew of strikingly charismatic performances, bonded together by effective chemistry, thus leaving "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" to "reel in" audience attention more often than not and make for a generally entertaining effort that's as enjoyable as it can be, given its fluffiness. 2.5/5 - Fair

• Sol C

  
  The film is a wonderful delight. Lasse Hallstrom hits another home run with this movie. The story is good but predictable. The performance are also good too. The cinematography in the movie is amazing. The movie studio should have released the movie in the Fall of 2012 or December of… More
  The film is a wonderful delight. Lasse Hallstrom hits another home run with this movie. The story is good but predictable. The performance are also good too. The cinematography in the movie is amazing. The movie studio should have released the movie in the Fall of 2012 or December of 2012 for Oscar consideration, instead of the March 2012 release. Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt shine in this movie. They have a great on screen chemistry together. Kristin Scott Thomas is hilarious in the movie. She steals every scene that she is in. Amr Waked is also great as the Sheikh in the movie. The ending of the film reminded me of the ending of the Keaunu Reeves film "A Walk in the Clouds." Despite the film being predictable, it is very entertaining and I definitely recommend this movie.

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