Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Lasse Hallström, master director of such memorable films as Chocolat, The Cider House Rules, What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, The Shipping News, An Unfinished Life, Hachi: A Dog's Tale, has proven that he understands human frailty and the inherent human comedy we all experience but find so difficult to face. 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. He has an endless supply of money and instructs his representative Harriet (Emily Blunt) - a bright but relationship-anxious girl who has just started an affair with a soldier, Capt. Robert Mayers (Tom Mison, a dashingly handsome new face on the screen!) - to turn the dream into reality, an extraordinary feat that will require the involvement of Britain's leading fisheries expert Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) who happens to think the project both absurd and unachievable: the naive Alfred is an idealist whose marriage to his sold wife Mary (Rachael Stirling) is one rocky ground. That is, until the Prime Minister's overzealous press secretary Bridget (Kristin Scott Thomas in a brilliant character role) latches on to it as a 'good will' story. Now, this unlikely team will put it all on the line and embark on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible, possible.

In addition to this extraordinary cast there are tasty cameo roles for Conleth Hill as Alfred's blustering Dickensonian boss Bernard Sugden among others. The concept of taking unlikely colleagues into a life changing relationship on this adventure dreamed by Sheikh Muhammed is more than tender; it is also very intelligently written romance. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, July 12

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