Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

An Arab Sheik with  passion for salmon fishing decides he would like to stock a section of the Yemen desert with the fish and its left to an intrepid and troubled man and woman to pull off the impossible.

When Yemeni Sheik Mohammed, who has expansive lands in the Scottish Highlands and decides he wants to talk his passion for Salmon fishing to a remote section of his homeland it pairs the most unlikely of bed fellows, an environmental agency worker and a member of an investment firm to try and create the impossible.

Add to this the underhanded dealings that go right to the top of the British government, in-fighting between various wildlife agency's and one incredibly clever press secretary and you have the makings for a delightful comedic drama set to the backdrop of some of the worlds most spectacular scenery. For afters, throw in, a boyfriend, missing in action in Afghanistan, a disinterested wife who travels all the time and a group of would be terrorists who are trying to maintain the traditions of their country; and you have the makings of one of the best films of the year thus far.

It does make me wonder, how, with lottery funded films in the UK and in conjunction with the BBC, British studios keep bringing out superbly scripted and well acted films, when the super graphics and hundreds of millions of Dollars of Hollywood budgets deliver ones that are often hit and miss. Is it possibly time to return to good old fashioned clever writing and quality acting, over trying to dazzle audiences with the newest gadgets?

Utter genius are the first two words which spring to mind as the credits roll at the end of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. A tremendous script, superb acting and just the right cast, make this a truly memorable film that will stick in the memory for years to come. Director Lasse Hallstrom has brought together just the right group for this one, not the sort of names that jump off the page of Hello Magazine each week, but good talented performers, plying their trade with a really decent script and producing the sort of film which fills almost all audiences with joy.

Ewan Mcgregor bounces back from the utter horror that was "Beginners" to give possibly his finest performance since his days in "Trainspotting". He plays the role of Aspergers sufferer, "Dr Alfred Jones", very set in his ways and never allows himself to go out on a limb, "only drink after seven on the weekend, and then just one", seems to sum up the man perfectly. Beset with a failing and loveless marriage, his sensibilities are pulled to breaking point by the suggestion of moving 10,000 Scottish Salmon from their cold water home, to the balmy climes of Yemen. Mcgregor is irate and sarcastic one minute, and tender and loving the next, truly testing himself to bring out the best in this challenging role.

Alongside him is the equally talented Emily Blunt who takes on the roll of "Harriet" with the double-barreled surname, an account manager for an investment firm, tasked with doing the impossible by a man with more money than he knows what to do with, and a vision. "Harriet" takes tumbles from one set of emotion to another, thinking that her boyfriend of three weeks is dead, then throwing herself into her job and finding love in the most unlikely of places. A truly glowing performance and I look for more dramatic roles from her in the not too distant future.

Amr Waked gives a fine performance as "Sheik Mohammed" in what should realistically be considered his first foray onto the big screen. His acting is superb yet understated, and he manages to come across as a really nice man, despite all of the power which he wields. He is able to convey his visions of grandeur in a quiet way, but leaves others in no doubt of exactly what his character wants. Krisitin Scott Thomas in the role of Prime Ministers' Press Secretary "Patricia Maxwell", truly, steals the show. Her character is ballsy, pragmatic and always active, making sure that the ruling party of the day keeps its nose clean and never misses a photo op. Makes you wonder who really is running the government with women like her calling the shots. Her performance is truly something special.

Tom Mison plays the roll of missing boyfriend "Captain Robert Mayers" decently, but you cannot help but feel that the army would loathe accepting such a wet blanket. Keep an eye out for him in more challenging outings. Rachael Stirling does a good role as the wife in a failing marriage to "Dr Jones", while Conleth Hill, does a superb job as "Bernard Sugden", his manager, keeping the air light with one liners aplenty throughout the opening hour. I am sure he will have agents banging down his door once his time in "Game of Thrones" runs its course.

The film is serious, yet light, with enough good and witty lines to keep everybody upbeat, but plenty of  gritty drama to give the piece a very serious and relevant edge in places. Expect to laugh, but also to think. A fine, fine film, and one that can certainly be watched more than once. Long may small budgets like this produce quality such as "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen".

8/10