We're back! Did you miss us? Yes, we know it was only a week but if we take time out, we get inundated with posts on Facebook asking; "are you alright hun?" Um. Actually we don't. Moving on.
This week we are watching;
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
So you may be wondering what Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is all about, well it is about fishing for salmon, in the Yemen, strange though that idea may sound. Based on Paul Torday's book we see a very rich Yemeni sheikh (Amr Waked), who absolutely loves fishing, decide he would like to look at the feasibility of establishing salmon lakes in the fairly arid area of the Yemen. He approaches a British consultancy company, who in turn look to the government for assistance, who jump on the story as it would put a positive spin on the strained anglo-arab relations. So much so they press the leading fisheries expert from the Department of Fisheries and Agriculture to look into the feasibility, who in turn laughs at the ludicrous nature of the request.
So that's the plot in a nutshell, to add some detail to that Ewan McGregor plays Dr. Alfred Jones, the fisheries expert, who is seconded to work with the consultancy firm employing a financial adviser to the sheikh; Harriet Chetwode-Talbot, played the ever-so lovely Emily Blunt. This is all spun into a positive political projection by the Prime Minister's press secretary Patricia Maxwell, played superbly by the magnificent Kristin Scott Thomas. Throw in a love interest for Harriet in the form of soldier Robert Mayers (Tom Mison) and you have the perfect balance for a love triangle in this romantic comedy about salmon fishing!
Deep breath!
Dr. Jones is a very staid and almost tweedy middle aged man, who is in a steady but stagnating marriage, where his work with fish clearly makes him a very boring character, steady, unfunny and set in his ways. When he is offered to work on the ludicrous notion of introducing salmon to the Yemen, he scoffs at the preposterous nature of the request, but all the way he is cajoled into working on the project and making the plan a reality.
Working alongside Dr. Jones is Miss Chetwode-Talbot, who really starts out to be the antithesis to the good doctor, with very little, if anything in common. However, her very new boyfriend immediately rules out any love interest between Alfred and Harriet. not that Alfred would consider such a thing, his mere inclusion in this project is farcical, let alone any kind of dalliance with his new colleague, but there clearly is a spark of a romance, as they continue to work together and when the original love interest goes "missing in action"...............
Well, we've said too much.
All the while we have the government's over-zealous press secretary ensuring that the right people, are in the right place, at the right time and in front of the right reporters. Kristin Scott Thomas absolutely nails this role, she is anarchic, condescending, incorrigible and down-right funny and is a key element within the film, especially as the story takes a darker turn when some of the Yemeni locals take umbrage at the sheikh's fishy plans and try to scupper any further development of their homeland. They do so, unaware or not believing that he is not just doing it for the sport, but as well as being a very expensive past time, it will bring fertility to the land and develop the area for future generations.
Again, we may be letting too many cats out of the bag, or allowing too many salmon to float upstream!
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a delightful little film, taking an absurd plot and throwing in some mismatched individuals and allowing them to develop and grow throughout the 107 minutes of the film. It supplies some lovely cinematography, ranging from the lochs of Scotland to the arid deserts of the Yemen. Ewan McGregor is really brilliant as Dr. Alfred Jones, you see his character grow and flourish throughout the various twists in the meandering story. Emily Blunt just sizzles on screen, her natural beauty and acting skills shine from the screen. As for Kristin Scott Thomas, she is just a delight to watch, a great character portrayed superbly by an equally great actress.
As for the scores, the panel was divided yet again. Some enjoyed the subtle nuances in the writing, whilst others were visibly struggling to get past the tweedy boredom of the initial scene setting. Some thought the story to be quirky, funny and most enjoyable, others considered it a bit daft. Nevertheless, it is certainly a film that requires a viewing for you to make your own mind up on. Enjoyable, but the panel scores it a lowly;
TNiFN Rating 65%
Clearly the panel member writing this esteemed blog was on the side of the film, even if the others were not!
IMDB Link
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