Movie Review Monday - Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen stars the imminently lovable duo of Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. With its pleasant blend of romance, comedy and drama, and solid acting all around.

Ewan McGregor plays Alfred Jones, a fisheries specialist who is contacted by Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (played by Emily Blunt) to help a Sheikh raise salmon in the deserts and mountains of Yemen.

Believable well handled premises abound on every level and the movie delves deeper into issues of race, political spin, following your dreams and overcoming odds.

This movie is a step above your average romantic comedy. It’s intelligent, though still suffers from the flaw of predictability. But to be honest, if there’s a romantic element to it, don’t you want it to be predictable? Do you want the two leads to die in a fiery plane crash? Of course not, read the headlines if you want that kind of tragedy.

So this is a really solid movie, and a decent date movie. Could you wait for it on video?  Sure, but you’ll get your money’s worth if you catch it in the theatre.

«««½

3.5 / 5.0

Cast list (courtesy of Wikipedia)

• Emily Blunt as Harriet Chetwode-Talbot
• Ewan McGregor as Alfred Jones
• Kristin Scott Thomas as Patricia Maxwell
• Amr Waked as Sheikh Muhammad