Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Plot synopsis:
Fisheries expert Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) receives an email from financial adviser Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt), seeking advice on a project to bring salmon fishing to the Yemen—a project being bankrolled by a wealthy Yemeni sheikh and supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Alfred dismisses the project as "fundamentally unfeasible" because Yemen cannot provide the necessary environment for salmon. Meanwhile, the British Prime Minister's press secretary Patricia Maxwell (Kristin Scott Thomas) suggests the salmon fishing story to the Prime Minister's office as a positive story to help improve relations between Britain and the Islamic world.
Alfred meets with Harriet to discuss the project, but despite Harriet correcting his misconceptions of the Yemen environment, Alfred is convinced that the project is foolhardy. Alfred's boss, pressured by Patricia, forces Alfred to accept a position on the project. Alfred considers resigning rather than ruin his reputation in the scientific community, but is convinced by his wife that they need his income and pension.
Harriet arranges for Alfred to meet the sheikh (Amr Waked) at his estate in the Scottish Highlands. The sheikh is excited to meet Alfred, the inventor of the "Woolly Jones" fishing fly. While the sheikh acknowledges that the project may sound crazy, he still believes that fishing is a noble pursuit that promotes harmony and requires immense faith.
After his wife accepts a position in Geneva, Alfred devotes himself to the salmon project. Although painfully shy, he enjoys working with Harriet and they begin to make progress. Their enthusiasm is interrupted, however, when Harriet learns that her new boyfriend, British special forces captain Robert Meyers (Tom Mison), is missing in action. Devastated, Harriet withdraws to her apartment. When Alfred visits her, she gets upset, thinking he just wants her to return to work, but then she realizes he's come to comfort her, and the two embrace.
Meanwhile, the sheikh continues his work, despite radicals who accuse him of introducing Western ways to their region. Patricia informs the sheikh that because of opposition to removing salmon from British rivers they will need to use farmed salmon. The sheikh does not believe that salmon bred in captivity will survive and rejects Patricia's offer, ending the British government's involvement in the project. Alfred resigns his government job to continue with the project.
After a confrontation with his wife in which he realizes that their marriage is over and that he is in love with Harriet, Alfred convinces the sheikh to give the farmed salmon a try. As the two are fishing, a Yemeni radical attempts to assassinate the sheikh, who is saved by Alfred casting his fishing line towards the assassin. Soon after, they return to the Yemen, where Harriet and Alfred continue to grow closer. After a moonlight swim, he asks her if there was a "theoretical possibility" of the two of them ending up together. She accepts with a kiss on his cheek, but says she will need some time.
At a press conference in Yemen with the Foreign Secretary, Patricia reunites Harriet and Robert, who survived the antiterrorism operation. The PR stunt leaves Alfred heartbroken. That night, Harriet realizes her feelings for Robert have changed, and when Alfred gets a text message from his wife asking him to return, he declines.
The following day the fish are released from their holding tanks. The fish swim upstream and everyone celebrates the success of the project. While Robert and the foreign minister fly-fish for the photographers, terrorists break into the dam upstream and open the flood gates. Although most people survive the resulting flash flood, the valley is left in ruins. The sheikh blames himself for the tragedy, and vows to rebuild—this time with the support of the local community.
The next day, as Harriet prepares to leave with Robert, she approaches Alfred to say goodbye. Just then they see a salmon jumping from the water, indicating that some fish survived. Alfred tells Harriet he will stay and help them rebuild. Harriet asks if he will need a partner—and Alfred realizes she is talking about herself. They embrace, and then hold hands while looking out over the river.

Tags: romantic, entertaining

Review:
However, there are also enlightening points to the movie that come when you least expect them.Of course, that is not to say that you have to actually LIKE fishing, or understand it, to enjoy "Salmon Fishing In The Yemen".
Just like a current, there are times you don't know where the story is going.Ewan McGregor plays Fred Jones, a fisheries expert for the British government who receives an odd request from legal representative Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt).
He wants to take a healthy population of salmon from the British lakes, and transport them to the Yemen River to live and breed.The reason this plot does not make for good cocktail party small talk or water cooler chatter is because it takes such a long time to describe the rationale behind such an ambitious task.
It's a shame that Oscar season just ended, because the early release of this film alone hurts his chances of receiving a Best Supporting Actor nomination, although he deserves it.The inevitable love story in the movie is also unpredictable, if only because you're not sure whether McGregor and Blunt should be together.
McGregor's Fred is married, and Blunt's Harriet has a boyfriend who is sent off to fight in the Afghanistan War. There are plot twists for both characters, but even you, the audience, remains unsure whether the two characters working together so well to bring salmon to Yemen means they should be together.
Adapted by Simon Beaufoy ("Slumdog Millionaire") from a popular 2006 Brit-lit book by Paul Torday, the story primarily concerns the two people who get caught up in Sheikh Muhammad's dream - tweedy fisheries expert Dr. Alfred Jones, Fred to his friends, and super-efficient public relations consultant Harriet Chetwode-Talbot.They are enlisted by Patricia Maxwell, the hell-on-heels press officer for the British prime minister who is desperate for a feel-good distraction from the bloodshed occurring in Afghanistan.
If you want to come away from a movie-going experience feeling good with plenty of information to discuss afterwards with your date, then RUN to see "Salmon Fishing in Yemen"!.
"You can't catch faith with a fishing rod." After Harriet (Blunt) contacts Dr. Alfred Jones (McGregor) about a Shiek from Yemen who wants to bring the sport of salmon fishing to his country he laughs it off.
What makes this such a joy is its impish sense of humor, irreverence toward the British government, the simply delightful acting of leads McGregor and Blunt (who has never looked so good as she does here), the appealing nature of so many characters, and, perhaps most of all, its unpredictability.
Each takes solace in their Yemen project.What works best in this movie is the chemistry between Blunt and McGregor; the former plays an optimist ready for new challenges, and the latter is more of a stick-in-the-mud with little sense of humor.
It's thankfully the former which makes it a little more engaging and less of a focus on what could be a solitary activity, and a romance-comedy-drama that centers about the theme of hope, even though this British film has plenty of elements to keep one entertained, especially the good ol British wit and humour that comes fast and furious when the need calls for it.Directed by Lasse Hallstrom whose last film was an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' Dear John, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is based on the novel by Paul Torday, that tells the unlikely romance that sparked between Dr Fred Jones (Ewan McGregor) and investment consultant Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) while working on a theoretically possible project funded by a rich Yemeni Sheikh Muhammad (Amr Waked).
Dr Jones, the bureaucrat stuck in a dead end job and happily coasting along in spite of having useless superiors, is the initial skeptic, preferring the status quo than to question and set challenges for himself, being the expert on fishing and a mean fly-fisher himself, while Harriet is that can-do go-getting consultant who doesn't take no for an answer, herself in a sub story arc involving a British soldier sent to the frontlines in Afghanistan.Together, they work under a programme mooted by the Sheikh to bring salmon fishing to his country, which of course has plenty of detractors especially from extremists who see this as a waste of resources spent on infidel activities involving the West, especially so since Kristin Scott-Thomas' thrash talking Bridget Maxwell, the publicist for 10 Downing Street, sees it as opportunity to raise the Anglo-Yemeni friendship and profile.
The movie, "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen," directed by Lasse Hallstrom, starring Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor, and put out this year by the BBC, is among a very small number of Western productions partially set in the Middle-Eastern country at the tip of the Arabian peninsula.
The messy details will be filled in by the Fisheries Department representative Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) and an investment rep for the sheikh, Ms. Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt).Naturally, Dr. Jones is incredulous that anyone would think it feasible to move 10,000 salmon from Scotland to Yemen and considers his assignment a fool's errand.
The writer, Simon Beaufoy, most recently adapted 127 Hours and Slumdog Millionaire into scripts and even he chose to leave that tiny detail out of the script.What comedy there is in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen comes from the Prime Minister's press secretary, Patricia Maxwell (Kristen Scott Thomas).
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is another 'feel good' dumb British movie that appeals to those who subscribe to a middle upper class idealism that has little grounding in reality.
All the actors were just great, I liked a lot the sheik role played by Amr Waked, although he is not mainly from Yemen he was the light coming from the east , full of faith not religious faith but faith about life/fishing.The scenes are organized to deliver the ideas in a smart way, one scene you see the extremist killing the British soldier in Afghanistan , the next scene is the extremist are trying to kill the sheik getting you to think that extremist full of hate kill every one even their own peoplewell done by everyone.
It's a story of faith and science between what is possible and impossible as a "visionary" tries to do something that has never been done before, bring salmon fishing to the Yemen.Check out my full review here: http://reelstorymovies.blogspot.com/2012/04/salmon-fishing -in- yemen.htmlThe film is peppered with references to faith and believing as a Yemeni Sheikh, Muhammad (Amr Waked) has faith that he can bring his love of salmon fishing to his mountainous region in Yemen, to his hometown, to his people, to bring unity to a fractured land."Faith is the cure that heals all troubles.
Faith comes before hope, and before love." -Sheikh MuhammadAs Sheikh Muhammad tries to convince the doubting atheist and scientist, Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) of the feasibility of bringing salmon fishing to the arid desert of the Yemen, he talks to Dr. Jones of faith.
He instead pursues the younger, more fun, and lively "partner" he has made during the project, Ms. Harriet Chetwood-Talbot (Emily Blunt), who is struggling as well with her feelings towards a casual fling who goes missing in Afghanistan after enlisting in the army.The relationship issues surrounding this film are my biggest issues with it as the characters are entangled and pulled every which way.The film may have done better to have a dull, single guy without any love in his life fall for the beautiful and energetic Ms. Harriet, who does not know who she wants, the soldier or the scientist, as they work together and find mutual interests and ambitions.Kristin Scott Thomas offers the comedic relief in this romantic "dramedy" about an impossible endeavor to bring salmon fishing to the Yemen as she plays the British Prime Minister's head of Public Relations as Patricia Maxwell, a foul-mouthed, fast-talking, do-it-all.
McGregor plays Doctor Alfred Jones (It was funny to hear him called Doctor Jones throughout the film), a fishery expert who's asked to help with a project bringing salmon fishing to the yemen.
His help is pursued aggressively by the sheikh's financial adviser Harriet Chetwod-Talbot (Blunt) though and when the British Prime Minister's domineering press secretary (Kristen Scott Thomas) sees the project as a way to improve on negative press (mostly dealing with mosque bombings in Afghanistan) Doctor Jones finds himself being blackmailed into doing the job.
Working with a script by Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty, Slumdog Millionaire, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Yasmin, etc) adapted from Paul Torday's popular novel by the same name, and selecting a cast of some of our brightest and worthy character actors in the business, he has created a strange story that is at once full of political satire, relationship studies, fragile human frailties and hope, and in doing so has given us one of the surprise best films of the year.Sheikh Muhammed (Amr Waked, a mesmerizingly fine actor) is a visionary sheik who believes that 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 with the hope that he can make the desert green and a happy home for his people.
For example, there's a sub-plot about a group of terrorists who want to kill the Sheik in order to avoid the waste of money into something as trivial as salmon fishing, while most of the population is living in poverty...but those terrorists end up being simple puppets from the screenplay.In the leading roles, Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt have a good chemistry with each other, and despite being very famous actors, they are both perfectly credible as two normal people in a labor situation which invites the romance almost by accident.
"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" is, first of all, a feel-good movie that discusses many things related to how life breeds around us.
Seriously the entire theater except us looked like the cast of Cocoon (1985).The movie itself was fun and heartwarming, the story stayed relatively true to the real events and Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt make for charming leads.
"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" is a charming, New, very British film and i enjoyed watching it despite its flaws.
I watched that movie for "Amr Waked" who made the "Sheikh Muhammed" Role, the whole movie is Good, i gave it 6/10, one thing i didn't like is the part where they showed us a Dam that according to the script should be in the Yemen, but actually that Dam is in Brazil, so a big fail for the script and direction in that point.
Whilst it is that, Salmon Fishing is a enjoyable light comedy that should please audiences.Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) is a consultant who is representing a wealthy Yemeni sheikh (Amr Waked) who want to introduce salmon fishing in the harsh climes of Middle East.
But as the project progresses Harriet and Fred get closer as their personal lives are thrown into turmoil.What makes Salmon Fishing in the Yemen works is that Blunt and McGregor both a very likable screen presence, having excellent chemistry together and very natural in their respective roles.
It just felt a bit out of place to the story of Fred and Harriet One aspect that felt real and strong was the character of Robert played by Tom Mison, who was made out to be a decent bloke, not the typical unlikable scumbag that is typical of romcoms.Despite the seemingly standard direction to the film, Lasse Hallström does a lot to make Salmon Fishing as visual as possible.
Fisheries expert Dr Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) gets reeled in by a billionaire Sheik and his lovely assistant Harriet (Emily Blunt) in attempting to bring salmon and fishing to the desert of Yemen.
The violent complications that briefly add excitement to the story are dubiously dealt out by those typically slippery Middle Eastern stereotypes but the film does question the ethics and intentions of both the wealthy Sheikh and those intent on destroying what he intends to create.The love affairs of the upper crust characters fail to ignite the screen with the relationship between McGregor and Blunt being a little damp but both stars give charming performances given the limitations and predictability of the script.
It's the gender-swapping of the UK prime minister's press secretary Maxwell (which is actually male in the book) that did wonders for the adaptation, and also, for choosing a superb Scott Thomas to fill in that role, wherein that switch helped very much in shifting away the focus of an epistolary novel's narrative that just taps into the absurdist vein into one that showcases audience-friendly characterizations that has a career-mom spin doctor's narrative pitted side-by-side with that of the fisheries expert Jones' (McGregor) and financial adviser Chetwode-Talbot's (Blunt) romance born out of a man's need to escape a dull marriage to long-time wife (Stirling) who only just takes him for granted, and a woman's grief for having lost her soldier-lover (Mison) during a tour of duty in Afghanistan whom she had only actually known for three passion-filled weeks.Faith is something that has been tossed out liberally in the story, overcoming adversity, all that stuff, courtesy of the Yemeni sheikh, Muhammed.
A fisheries expert, Dr Alfred Jones (played by Ewan McGregor), is hired by a wealthy sheikh to introduce salmon fishing to the desert of the Yemen.Weak.
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 sheik (Amr Waked) who is willing to invest lots of money to fulfil his dream.
Through a series of events he agrees to help a Sheikh fulfil his lifelong dream of bringing sport-fishing to the deserts of Yemen and along the way he also falls for a woman hired to be part of the project.This is a quirky, funny, very British and kinda moving movie.
One of the most simple and sweet films comes from director Lasse Hallstrom called 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.' It stars Ewan McGregor as Dr.Alfred Jones, a consultant who is a fisheries expert who works with a woman named Harriet (Harriet) to help a Sheikh in The Middle East bring Salmon Fishing back.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen tells the uplifting story of fisheries expert Dr Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) who is approached by consultant Harriet (Emily Blunt) who persuades him to work on a project for a sheik who wants to introduce salmon fishing to the Yemen.
The setting is beautiful, some fantastic Scottish landscapes (something I really need to see more of having lived here most of my life) and from the Yemen too.Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is an uplifting and inspiring story that offers a touching reminder that anything is possible with just a little faith, something that few films provide.
When Alfred "Fred" Jones (Ewan McGregor) asked by Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) to bring Salmon from UK to Yemen he said : that was unfeasible!
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).
They make what seemed as a boring idea turn into a good film.Dr. Alfred Jones' (Ewan McGregor) life revolves pretty much around Salmon fishing.
Clearly an Anglophile and well versed in all of the fine arts that so many Englishman ignore, he proposes as a side line to the main Dam project, to indulge his love of Salmon fishing in his own country If it costs the 50 Million pounds that Dr Jones randomly suggests, based on purely theoretical ideas, then so be it.The Sheik is looked after by an investment firm, more importantly by the rather lovely Ms Harriet (Emily Blunt), who of course adds a certain frisson to the scheme for the dusty, bookish Doctor.Blunt and McGregor play this part well, the opening scenes are delightful, light frothy and perfect for a date night picture.The scheme starts to come together and attracts political clout as Patricia Maxwell (Kristen Scott Thomas) senses an opportunity for a much needed "good news" Middle East story.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen The best thing about the sport of fishing is that you don't even have to be alive in order to be successful at it.And while this romantic drama doesn't address the tedium of trolling, it does display its worldwide popularity.Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor), an uptight employee of the British Fisheries Department, is approached by Harriet (Emily Blunt), the liaison of a wealthy Sheikh (Amr Waked) interested in bringing salmon fishing to the Middle East.Uninterested, Alfred declines the offer, only to be order to proceed with the project, as it is seen as an excellent gesture of peace between both countries.Doubtful of the endeavour from conception, over time, Alfred warms to the notion, and his assistant.Based on the popular novel, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is an unrealistic love story with a formulaic ending that lacks bite.Besides, shouldn't those female salmon be wearing Burqas?
Vaguely interesting story about the cynical attempts by the British government to mask some of the 'negative press' about the middle east with a feel good story, which they feed to the press involving Ewan McGregor's character travelling to the Yemen to manage a £50m project to introduce salmon to the area.
although the whole idea of the film makes you think it might be something boring,it really isn't,at least not for me.The acting is just perfect Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt are great in this movie(as always).
In this film there are all parts of his the best movies as lovely humor, pretty love story, engrossing nature and plus remarkable actors Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt and Kristin Scott Thomas.