Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Name: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: March 9, 2012
Duration: 111 min
Rating: 58
Cast: Amr Waked, Emily Blunt, Ewan McGregor, Kristin Scott Thomas

2012

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Mixed or average reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 71 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 71 Ratings

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Salmon Fishing In The Yemen

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Movie Details & Credits

CBS Films | Release Date: March 9, 2012 | PG-13

Starring: Amr Waked, Emily Blunt, Ewan McGregor, Kristin Scott Thomas

Summary: 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 ofA 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. (CBS Films)… Expand

Director: Lasse Hallstrom

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 111 min

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Critic Reviews

Ella Taylor

Mar 9, 2012

The crisply sweet banter and the halting intimacy that grows between two shy people with a common goal more than makes up for a wildly implausible plot. Read full review

Peter Travers

Mar 8, 2012

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. Read full review

Lou Lumenick

Mar 9, 2012

These are characters with whom it's a pleasure to spend a couple of hours. Read full review

Michael Phillips

Mar 8, 2012

The film's occasional toe-dips into real-world politics, sectarian conflict and the horrors of war are demure and unruffling. What's missing is a point of view beyond Hallstrom's interest in making his actors look as attractive as possible. Read full review

Mike Scott

Mar 30, 2012

It's an uplifting, even enchanting, smile-inducer. Read full review

Peter Rainer

Mar 9, 2012

It's a soggy farce that not even its top-notch cast can rescue – though not for want of trying. Read full review

Bill Weber

Mar 9, 2012

The ill use made of the stars' charms in this initially strained, then egregiously dopey mushfest can likely be credited to market-tested notions of modern popular romance. Read full review

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User Reviews

dierregi

Jan 25, 2015

McGregor plays stuffy government employee Dr. Alfred Jones, forced by his boss to pursue the dubious plan of introducing salmons in Yemen. The plan is encouraged as a PR stunt, to prove that good relations between the UK and the Middle East are not impossible.

Therefore, Dr. JonesMcGregor plays stuffy government employee Dr. Alfred Jones, forced by his boss to pursue the dubious plan of introducing salmons in Yemen. The plan is encouraged as a PR stunt, to prove that good relations between the UK and the Middle East are not impossible.

Therefore, Dr. Jones unwillingly cooperates with Harriet (played by Emily Blunt) and gets to know the Yemenite sheikh (Amr Waked) who is willing to invest lots of money to fulfil his dream. Scott Thomas plays the hilariously insufferable Press Secretary to the British Prime Minister. Romance ensues, but with some hindrance along the way.

Luckily, no knowledge of fishing is required to follow the story. McGregor and Blunt have chemistry. Scott Thomas and Amr Waked are excellent supporting actors and the movie is simply delightful. A rarity nowadays.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

NJWolfgang

Aug 29, 2012

A quiet film beautifully photographed. Great performances by the three leads. It's easy and doesn't require Terence Malik type of thought provocation. It doesn't pretend to be anything that it isn't.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SantiagoMAKiiNA

Sep 17, 2012

It's easy to like this one. Strongly driven by characters we can all relate, this is a romantic story that will easily stand the passage of time. It counterpoints the simplicities of mundane life with the often unattainable larger universal issues like faith.
Ewan McGregor is brilliant andIt's easy to like this one. Strongly driven by characters we can all relate, this is a romantic story that will easily stand the passage of time. It counterpoints the simplicities of mundane life with the often unattainable larger universal issues like faith.
Ewan McGregor is brilliant and often times funny, hard not to like the guy. Emily Blunt does it up well as the silently suffering executive ready to come out of the shell and take a new route. And this is exactly the journey. Well sketched human characters looking to be challenged and growing up as they go along. The kind of thing we all oughta do but don't really commit to out here in the world beyond the screen.
It is worth mentioning my favorite character was Kristin Scott Thomas'. She is the constant psyche amongst the ever evolving theatre of people. The comedy relief at every turn and the fortitude of a true human reference throughout. Or maybe I'm speaking from that little crush I always had on her.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Ginqs

Mar 9, 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 whenEnjoying 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. Ginq.Com… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

MikeBierman

May 16, 2013

Enjoyable, well-acted, unique, and delightful. This unusual and apparently initially impossible plot line to introduce migrating salmon to the middle east is enriched by a very nice love story. It is more drama and romance than comedy, although several cute devices, mostly using textingEnjoyable, well-acted, unique, and delightful. This unusual and apparently initially impossible plot line to introduce migrating salmon to the middle east is enriched by a very nice love story. It is more drama and romance than comedy, although several cute devices, mostly using texting onscreen attempt (with minor success) to add comedic elements. A fine, but not great film, it will please those looking for something new and out of the mainstream formula films churned out every day in the industry.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Tokyochuchu

Mar 8, 2014

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a mildly entertaining romantic comedy. Unfortunately, it's uniqueness is undercut by the heavy use of typical genre cliches and some eye-rolling plot contrivances. Meh.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DawdlingPoet

Nov 28, 2021

I found this film to be, I suppose, rather quirky in a sense and pretty watchable but unfortunately it did seem quite tedious as far as the plot and moreso the plot development, is concerned. It didn't seem to me to be very believable, funnily enough(!) although the comedy comes from the farI found this film to be, I suppose, rather quirky in a sense and pretty watchable but unfortunately it did seem quite tedious as far as the plot and moreso the plot development, is concerned. It didn't seem to me to be very believable, funnily enough(!) although the comedy comes from the far fetched storyline. There is some poignant dialogue but its almost sickly sweet in terms of sentimentality. I noticed that at first this doesn't appear to be much of a romance based film, indeed the main plot does take a bit of time to develop and become clear but I couldn't help but feel that although there one or two sub-plots involving a missing person and different characters, the storyline seemed to be lacking a general direction. It seemed a bit half hearted somehow.

I felt that the acting was pretty decent but the script was just a bit too 'frothy' I suppose - I'd been perhaps hoping for more of an in-depth character driven drama than this, which is more of a romantic comedy of sorts I'd say (as already mentioned). The main story is certainly quirky and seeing how the project develops is interesting but I couldn't help but think that this film had a lot more potential, especially when it comes to the local Yemen citizens reaction to the Sheikh's project and the Arab side of things. When it comes to the characters, I felt that Dr. Alfred Jones seemed pretty credible and a likeable character, flawed due to his personal issues, a bit of a bumbling loner but its the various plot twists and how they come about which didn't entirely sit right with me, though of course it isn't a film thats meant to be taken too seriously. I concede that some people may well enjoy this film more than me but it just didn't seem to hit the right spot with me, as it were(!). I could feel my mind starting to wander a bit after the first half an hour or so, which pretty much says it all I suppose but I think the cast did a pretty decent job, it was more the script to blame. On the plus side, one thing I definitely did enjoy was the panoramic ariel shots shown within Yemen - there is some decent camerawork and it would no doubt look impressive if shown on a large screen. One aspect of the story or plot that I liked was the obvious cynicism of the government, in how Dr. Jones is pretty much forced into taking on this project, regardless of the fact he feels its clearly laughable and unfeasible - whether this turns out to be the truth or not, I wouldn't like to say so as not to spoil the film for anyone who may decide to watch it and judge it themselves but I will say that there are one or two twists along the way (plot wise). I particularly liked the depiction of the prime ministers press secretary, who is laughably over-zealous, she's like a parody of civil servants I think? or if not then certainly the PR profession. More specifically, I enjoyed the text messages that are shown on screen between, I believe, the prime minister and the press secretary - the messages being quite blunt and revealing perhaps more of the truth behind their feelings and motives. Just to add, I also remember thinking I quite liked the musical score used in parts which seemed to go quite well with the tone and atmosphere of scenes, particularly when accompanied by fairly impressive landscape ariel shots. However, towards the end it just got a bit too 'carried away' I suppose you could say and I became less keen - there's an undeniable cheesiness to it but I guess thats par for the course of a (part?) romantic comedy.

This film seemed to be part comedy, part romance based, with a mystery aspect and a drama aspect to it but it just seemed to be lacking a definite direction overall to be memorable, infact the more I try and think of how to pin point my criticisms, the more I seem to realise that I don't remember a great amount of detail about it and that probably says it all really. Unlike some of the perhaps worst films I've seen, I can say that I did stick it out until the end of the film though - I made it to the closing titles without turning the DVD player off, so thats a plus. The acting isn't bad and there are one or two good aspects but I think it had potential to be much better and I feel that its perhaps trying too hard to be a bit of numerous genres, its a bit too much of a mish mash of comedy, drama, mystery and certainly from mid way through romance but it didn't really gel quite right with me personally. Its a pleasant enough watch but far from memorable, despite the interesting premise.

Thanks for reading my review, I hope you found it useful and thanks for all rates and comments.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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