Total Film
Tamer than the book and not as funny, this is Salmon filleted. But McGregor and Blunt make fetching lovebirds, while Kristin Scott Thomas is off the scale in a rare comic outing.
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Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt and Kristin Scott Thomas star in this romantic drama from the director of The Cider House Rules and the writer of Slumdog Millionaire, about an enthusiastic sheikh dedicated to the unlikely plan of bringing British salmon to Yemen. Based on the novel by Paul Torday.
The sheikh (Amr Waked) 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, his representative (Blunt) involves Britain's leading fisheries expert (McGregor) who thinks the project both absurd and unachievable. But when the Prime Minister's overzealous press secretary (Kristin Scott Thomas) latches on to it as a 'good will' story, the team rise to the challenge, embarking on a journey of faith, love and fish.
2011Rating: M, for some violence and sexual content, and brief language107 minsUK
Drama
- Director:
- Lasse Hallström ('Chocolat', 'Dear John', 'The Cider House Rules', 'Casanova', 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape')
- Writer:
- Simon Beaufoy
- Cast:
- Ewan McGregorEmily BluntKristin Scott ThomasRachael StirlingTom MisonAmr WakedCatherine SteadmanJill Baker
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen / Reviews
Time Out
Only Kristin Scott Thomas channeling "In the Loop's" Malcolm Tucker offers a spark; the rest is simply hokum designed to land overly sentimental suckers hook, line and sinker.
Full reviewTime Magazine
It's only when it takes an unfortunate wrong turn from playful wit into the dramatic and sentimental - Hallström's speciality - that the movie starts to unravel.
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The Washington Post
A surprisingly lush, endearing little film, in which a swelling sense of romanticism thoroughly banishes even the most far-fetched improbabilities.
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Rolling Stone
This is a rich subject for satire and sticking it to political bureaucracy. Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (127 Hours) has mined Paul Torday's book for delicious nuggets about Western capitalism at war with Muslim culture.
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Roger Ebert
This perhaps sounds like a hilarious movie. So it could be, in the hands of the masters of classic British comedy. Unfortunately, the director is the Swede Lasse ("Chocolat"), who sees it as a heart-warming romance and doesn't take advantage of the rich eccentricity in the story.
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Entertainment Weekly
You can have a reasonably nice time at Salmon Fishing in the Yemen if you accept that it's the tidiest movie imaginable to ever say that falling in love is like swimming upstream.
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Empire Magazine
As awkward as McGregor's geeky hero and almost as confused as the titular plan, Salmon Fishing is still very likable if you're prepared to take the bait. And it might even be Scott Thomas' funniest turn since "Four Weddings And A Funeral."
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