Review of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012) by Rameshwar N — 12 Oct 2012

Being a huge fan on Emily Blunt, please be aware that my review could be biased. Having said that, embracing the ridiculousness of the premise is what the script relishes on while adding a lot of charm, chemistry, life philosophy, faith and comedy along the way.

British fisheries department is asked to estimate the feasibility of Salmon fishing in the Yemen's desert going by the vision of the rich and affluent Sheik Muhammad (Amr Waked). Dr. Alfred (Ewan McGregor) of the fisheries is assigned for the task who dismisses the idea as ridiculous. Patricia (Kristin Scott Thomas) a PR to the British PM office latches on to this idea to promote good will and pushes it forward. Alfred is living a robotic marital life until he meets the Sheik's liaison Harriet (Emily Blunt) and slowly falls for her. Rest is how this partnership affects both their personal lives and relationships, their faith and philosophy towards life.

I have said zillions of things about how Emily Blunt can charm you single handedly in my previous reviews and I am not going to do that again. One has to admit that it is a weird but original plot that can go wrong on many different fronts, but comes out as a deserved winner with assured and confident direction, excellent chemistry between the leads and a superb comic relief. Kristen Scott Thomas is a proven actress but what she does here is profound and innovative featuring her communication with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister. It is a tad too long and gets too preachy by the end but that does not stop it from being a smart quirky entertainer.

Lots of originality, chemistry, quirkiness and fun.