Fresh from Cinema.. ..Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Yes.. Just after my last Fresh from Cinema post - here comes the next.. though there was actually a whole week between my visits there..

The film I watched Friday was

SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN (USA, 2011) by Lasse Hallström

In an nut-shell:

Sheikh Muhammed (Amr Waked) is very fond of Salmon Fishing. So he plans to bring this joy to his home country Yemen - which is actually a bit drier than Great Britain. Apparently this is a little problem when you plan on having a lot of living fish around.. So Sheikh Muhammed needs help to realize this project - and he finds avid help in consultant Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) and not at all so avid in the beginning help by nerdy fish expert Dr. Alfred "Fred" Jones (Ewan McGregor).

The more obstacles they find in their way the eager they get to realize the project - pushed by Primeminister's press secretary Patricia Maxwell (Kristin Scott Thomas), who is hoping for a "good will" story about an Anglo-Arab co-work - since stories from Afghanistan aren't actually the best PR possible..

When Harriet's new boy friend Capt. Robert Mayers (Tom Mison) is reported as missing in action in Afghanistan Fred tries to solace her as much as possible. With the outcome that both develop a feeling of attachment which finally leads into Fred leaving his icy wife Mary (Rachael Stirling).. - But then kind of a wonder happens - and Patricia winds a perfect heroic love story for the press...

If you happen to like...

... Kristin Scott Thomas being queen of beasts

... fishing

... skinny casts

... thankful lovers

... characters who are discussed to suffer from Asperger syndrom (yes.. I am refering to Fred - who maybe or maybe not..)

... it could be possible that you'll also like this film!

Yes.. you guessed it.. again I start with something that bothered me (I guess there is simply more that bothers me in more recent films..): Besides I am not a fan of fishing (you know: killing living creatures as a sport..) there was one main problem for me: Kristin Scott Thomas' language.. I really like Kristin Scott Thomas - but I could not get over that language she used! Well, merely the language of this film is a bit harsh - and in the beginning of this film that really put me of. I do not know whether it was just in the beginning that rude - or if I got used to it while watching this movie. I dislike harsh language - but just right today used some of it and hurt a person who is really important to me.. We are good now again I think.. but still I am so very ashamed...well... ok.. back to this movie.. Please keep in mind that I watched a German dubbed version - so maybe it's just sunshine and lollypops in the Original version...

Amr Waked who is really nice to look at (and.. gee.. I did look..) just re-vived my idea of making a series about Egyptian actors here.. I liked him in CONTAGION (USA, 2011) by Steven Sonderbergh - but.. well... here he was really outstanding.. Well.. okay.. Mostly because his language was not harsh at all I guess.. Still I have to confess that the whole main cast was a bit too skinny for me - and though I will agree on Ewan McGregor being a very cute nerd here and that he ages really nice in general - I still cannot really get what makes other females drool over him.. I think I am slightly odd.. One thing I have to mention nevertheless: when Fred is allowed (!?!!) to have sex with his wife ("so.. that shall be enough..") and we witness the last seconds of that.. ... uhm.. yes..  ..in the end he does the cutest thing ever by saying "Thank you." to his wife.. Oh.. I was about to burst out into tears...

Tom Mison - for whom I had the warmest feelings when he appeared as Mr. Bingley in LOST IN AUSTEN (UK, 2008) - and most of my female friends know that when it comes to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen I am not at all like most other ladies having a thing going on for dashing Mr. Darcy but for the very sweet and by that a bit boring Mr. Bingley.. - here was very nice, too.. A very sweet character he played - but actually most male characters here were very likeable.. As always the females were just gorgeous to look at.. And lately I watched a lot of Emily Blunt films - and I think I will go on with doing so..




So - though I had my problems with this film I really liked it and I do recommend this 107 minutes of a really never dull film..

Thank you very much for escorting me to the movies!

Yours

Irene