Salmon Fishing in the
Yemen is the year's best romantic drama that you've never heard of, though
I wish that weren't the case. Charming and well written, it's a shame that a
film starring two captivating actors hasn't been promoted as such. I will freely admit the title made me
question its validity, but hear me out.
For starters, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is one of the more literal titles since
last year's Man on a Ledge. In this
film, an overzealous sheik requests the help of a fishery expert to create an
environment in the Yemen where it would be possible to fly-fish. While that is the actual device for
moving the story along, the film is truly a story of love.
I couldn't help but notice how
topical the story felt as the whole reason the Brits decided to go along with
the Yemen project was in order to facilitate goodwill between them and the
Yemen people. It's as if something
like this has or could happen in hopes of spinning good press.
Kristin Scott Thomas's scene-stealing
Patricia Maxwell, the British Prime Minister's press secretary, concocted the
ingenious red herring. And while
found her involvement a huge boost to the overall film, I was equally as
disappointed by director Lasse Hallström's lack of detail to the relationship
blooming between his two leads.
Prior to their meeting, Blunt's Ms. Chetwode-Talbot was seeing a military
man with whom she claimed she was in love with. McGregor's Dr. Jones was actually married. This cavalier
attitude toward their partners was a bit of a downer, especially since I wanted
them to fall in love on their own terms.
Regardless, the rest of Oscar-winner
Simon Beaufoy's script was impeccably written. His ability to evenly balance comedy and drama helps shield
the film from potential genre pitfalls, ultimately giving Salmon Fishing in the Yemen a delightful story that should hold up
well with audiences of all ages.
