Review of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012) by Mikey O — 25 Mar 2013

Director Lasse Hallstrom is back once again with his latest film, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, a marketing nightmare that sounds as bland as a documentary about, well, salmon fishing in the Yemen. But believe it or not, Samon Fishing in the Yemen, though it starts slow, is a sweet film that works.

The film is what I believe to be a true story of a sheik who wants to bring well, you know the title. He enlists the help of Fred Jones(played by the always lovable Ewan McGregor), a fisheries expert, and Harriet (played sweetly by Emily Blunt), a consultant, to make this dream come true.

I know what you're thinking: Who cares? And you know what? The characters wonder the same thing. It starts off as a joke to them, but they each grow to care deeply about the subject. And for each other.

The actors all evoke charm. Especially McGregor and Blunt. We get some feistily funny moments from Academy Award nominee Kristen Scott Thomas as a prime minister's press secretary who gets involved with the whole "salmon fishing" ordeal to distract the public from the war in the country.

Hallstrom's films are typically light drama comedies with a sweet tooth, like 2000's Best Picture nominee, Chocolat, What Eating Gilbert Grape & The Cider House Rules. He's typically a fine director and once again brings his usual charm to life here.

Overall, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is an informative, funny, and surprisingly entertaining film and despite it's questionable title, it should be seen. Don't invest your time in other summer fodder (Wrath of the Titans comes to mind) .

Go Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. It's more fun than it sounds.