Movie Review: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Sometimes, the most ridiculous of dreams can be a wonderful thing. I just watched Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and found it very inspiring.

This British film, directed by Lasse Hallstrom, stars Ewan McGregor who plays Dr. Alfred Jones, a salmon fisheries expert. He was approached by consultant Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) who represents a wealthy Yemeni sheikh (Amr Waked). The uber wealthy sheikh has a vision to introduce salmon fishing to his country which is mainly a desert. Expectedly, Fred rejects the idea as impossible.

Luckily (or unluckily), the Prime Minister's press secretary, Patricia Maxwell (Kristin Scott Thomas), saw the offer as an opportunity to publicize a feel-good story about Anglo-Arab relations to distract voters from the bad news coming out of Afghanistan. Patricia pressures Fred into giving in to Harriet and the sheikh's project and implement it. Eventually, Fred also came to believe that bringing salmon fishing to Yemen could be made to happen.

I like the film's story because the visuals -- creating the dam, transporting the fish, and seeing the salmon "run" -- made everything very believable. There were also so many beautiful vistas shown that can take one's breath away. In addition, I like how the actors played their roles. All four main characters did a very good job. 

There are some twists to the story that you'd better see for yourself rather than just reading them here. Watch Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and be inspired by a love story, a leap of faith, and the fulfillment of dreams.

*This movie is being exclusively shown in Ayala Cinemas (Greenbelt, Glorietta, and Trinoma) starting today, October 10. You can check for schedules on SureSeats.com.