Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Veteran director Lasse Hallstrom surprises and delights with this whimsically offbeat, inspirational comedy. Efficient, effervescent Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) is the British investment representative of a visionary Yemeni oil sheik who is determined to bring his favorite sport of salmon fishing to his native Middle Eastern country. Harriet enlists the help of a buttoned-up Ministry of Fisheries bureaucrat, Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor), who initially ridicules the far-fetched idea of stocking a hatchery and creating a salmon run in which 10,000 fish can swim upstream to spawn. But when the U.K. Prime Minister's cynical press secretary (Kristin Scott Thomas) views the preposterous project as a politically opportune way to improve strained British/Arab relations, he's railroaded into service. Still skeptical, Jones agrees to meet with the progressive, idealistic sheik (Amr Waled), joining him for fly-fishing and meditation at his palatial Scottish estate, Dr. Jones's marriage has gone sour, while Harriet is conveniently single since her soldier boyfriend (Tom Mison) has been shipped off to Afghanistan. The sheik serves as a sly matchmaker while—for the project—a myriad of other obstacles must be overcome, including an armed band of Islamic extremists who fear Western influence. Based on Paul Torday's satirical novel, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen revolves around the theme of faith—in its many permutations—presenting a tolerant and respectful view of the contemporary Middle East, with fly-fishing serving as a metaphor for patience, peace, and spiritual harmony with nature. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “making-of” featurette (13 min.), “The Fisherman in the Middle East” segment with novelist Paul Torday (4 min.), trailers, and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a winning film.] (S. Granger)