Hello again! For this review I decided to go back a few years and cover the British comedy, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. This was released in 2011 and directed by Lasse Hallstrom, based on a novel by Paul Torday. The novel is written in a peculiar format--told mostly through letters, emails, texts and other documents. I haven't read the novel, but I find it interesting that a story with such a format would transfer to film so well.
The story as it turns out, is a rather strange romantic comedy. I never would have thought to create a romantic comedy around salmon fishing--in the Yemen. Such is the tale though. We have Alfred (Ewan McGregor) who's a fisheries expert, Harriet (Emily Blunt) a financial advisor and a Yemeni sheikh (Amr Waked).
The story as it turns out, is a rather strange romantic comedy. I never would have thought to create a romantic comedy around salmon fishing--in the Yemen. Such is the tale though. We have Alfred (Ewan McGregor) who's a fisheries expert, Harriet (Emily Blunt) a financial advisor and a Yemeni sheikh (Amr Waked).
Alfred is contacted by Harriet who works for the Yemeni sheikh. The sheikh is interested in introducing the sport of fly fishing to the Yemen. Alfred, rather patronizingly, informs Harriet that the idea is ridiculous and just wouldn't work. Unfortunately for Alfred his boss, Bernard Sugden (Conleth Hill), forces him to take on the project. The reason being that he was forced to take on the project by Patricia Maxwell (Kristin Scott Thomas), the prime minister's press secretary. She wants to use the project as "good news" to improve relations between Britain and the Islamic world. Thomas is fantastic as this character, and she's hilariously foul mouthed.
Against his own judgment, but pressured by his wife, Alfred starts working with Harriet and the sheikh. They begin to form a partnership built out of respect and mutual appreciation for the sheikh's vision. See, he sees it as a way to promote harmony and wants to take a leap of faith. A noble pursuit you might say. Harriet and Alfred also start building a friendship as a way to stave off their loneliness.
Alfred's marriage is on thin ice, sadly it has become rather lifeless and mostly surviving because of convenience. As for Harriet, her boyfriend who is in the British special forces, is considered "missing in action" after being deployed. Rather surprisingly, it's Alfred who comforts her. After learning about his disappearance, Harriet stays in her apartment for days doing nothing but waiting for the phone to ring with good news. Alfred visits her and while Harriet thinks he is only there to talk about work, he actually cares for her well being and convinces her to get out of the house. Harriet returns to work and uses the salmon project to distract herself from her worry and sadness. Alfred in a rare moment (he is not one to fight), confronts his wife and realizes the marriage is over. He has fallen in love with Harriet and admits it to his wife.
Alfred's marriage is on thin ice, sadly it has become rather lifeless and mostly surviving because of convenience. As for Harriet, her boyfriend who is in the British special forces, is considered "missing in action" after being deployed. Rather surprisingly, it's Alfred who comforts her. After learning about his disappearance, Harriet stays in her apartment for days doing nothing but waiting for the phone to ring with good news. Alfred visits her and while Harriet thinks he is only there to talk about work, he actually cares for her well being and convinces her to get out of the house. Harriet returns to work and uses the salmon project to distract herself from her worry and sadness. Alfred in a rare moment (he is not one to fight), confronts his wife and realizes the marriage is over. He has fallen in love with Harriet and admits it to his wife.
While in Yemen, Alfred boldly asks Harriet if she could ever see him as a man. It is a tender, quiet moment and it is surprising to see Alfred open up so much. Harriet responds that yes, they could potential be something more, she just needs time. Alas, no romantic comedy is complete without a hitch in the way. While Alfred does separate from his wife, Harriet's boyfriend is found alive and back in the picture.
At the same time we see some Yemini men plotting to do something again the sheikh.
The men who live in the area don't like what the sheikh is doing. He is almost assassinated in one instance. Luckily Alfred is able to save him. They don't stop there. A much more sinister plan is afoot. I'll stop there and leave the rest of the film for you to watch, because it is definitely worth it.
As surprising fly fishing in the Yemen is, even more surprising is the love story arising from it. Yet, arise it does. It is slow, but very nice to watch. Especially because of who Alfred is. He's so...shy and...British--all in a good way though. It is one of those slow burn or slow building romances. I actually didn't mind that, it felt organic.
This was light and charming. All the characters and performances brought a rather unconventional idea to life, all while making it memorable. Plus, it was filmed on location. There were some really great places, I especially liked the Scotland part. After watching some films that involved too much green screen, this was a nice breath of fresh air. Even more was the fact that it was not an overly complicated story or one where I had to figure anything out. I just watched and enjoyed.
More than that, I think I liked that the focus of the story was Alfred. It was a story about a man changing the direction his life was going--accepting changes and making something new out of it. Alfred was hesitant about the whole thing for most of the film. He was stuck, not only professionally but personally. In the end it was through his work and his need to have a better life that made everything possible. It was great seeing his transition through the whole film.
This is a movie I would recommend for a weekend or first date. You will surely enjoy it.