I overheard in the radio one evening that Emily Blunt has rejected quite a few movie proposals lately including Captain America. Yet she has decided to take on Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. Emily is a great actress. So I was curious. Why salmon fishing? When omy.sg offers two movie preview choices, subconsciously I picked this one. I am happy that I did.
This movie begins with an unusual business proposal to set up salmon fishing in Yemen. At the same time, there are some conflicts happening in the Middle East and the UK government is desperately looking for some good news to orchestrate. When an government official played by Kristin Thomas catches wind of this rather bizarre business idea, she immediately lends her support on this matter. It is funny that she cares not about the salmon, but the potential political gain. Emily Blunt plays an investment consultant while Ewan McGregor plays a subject matter expert in fishing. It is Harriet Chatwode-Talbot versus Dr. Jones. I chuckled at the pronunciation of the names spoken so many times with a British accent throughout the movie. The interaction between Emily and Ewan is light and playful. Kristin as a supporting role is quite honestly a gem to this casting. Such good actors, they are. I smiled and chuckled. The story does get a bit more serious towards the end. All in all, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is full of humor and original ideas. Great acting, with a witty script. If British romance comedy is your cup of tea, this film is not to be missed.
On a more serious note, for those who are not familiar with the world map, Yemen is somewhere in the Middle East. To create a fishing area in a desert area seems absurd. Comparing fishing to religion also seems absurd (among many other things in the movie). But with an open heart though, both activities require patience and faith, and a hope that something good may happen. To think deeper, the storyteller tries to tell us that love comes from hope which requires patience and faith. This movie transforms the simple act of fishing into something bigger, embracing lovers and a community alike.
If not for my blogger friend JoV, I would not have known that Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is originally written as a novel. Do drop by her website and check out her book review. She highly recommends the book. I have this belief that when the story is good, the movie is often good too. I have not read the book so I do not know how well this book is being adapted. In the movie, the shifting in the relationship dynamic seems a bit abrupt to me. I may need JoV to verify for me. I suspect it is because the movie may not have the luxury of time in the development of a love story. Other than that, the rest of the movie flows nicely, from beginning to end.