"Gone fishing" has never been more exciting and exhilarating. It's one of those rare gems that manages to reel you in and never let's go until its satisfying and surprising ending. It's a film about people who are wrapped up in their own precious cocoons and strive for the impossible.
Ewan Mc Gregor is perfectly cast as the pessimistic and introverted Fred, a scientist at the Department of Fisheries and Agriculture, whose hopes and aspirations are severely altered, and his world suddenly thrown into turmoil when he's drawn into a scheme hatched by a fly fishing-obsessed Yemeni sheikh (Amr Waked) who dreams of achieving the seemingly impossible - introducing salmon to the wadis of the Yemen; located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula between Oman and Saudi Arabia. It is situated at the entrance to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. The highland regions are interspersed with wadis, or river valleys, that are dry in the summer months. (Yemen has no permanent rivers.)
For a logical, rather stuffy scientist like Fred, the idea of introducing salmon to the Yemen is one step short of madness. Fred, however, is eventually won over by the charismatic sheikh and his mystical worldview, while he also begins to fall for the Sheikh's representative, Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt), who joins him on his journey into the Yemen
When Fred is drawn into helping Harriet try and fix the troubles in her life, he learns to cast off his deep-set cynicism. With Emily's encouragement and support, Fred then rises to the sheikh's eccentric challenge and embarks upon a journey of self-discovery and late-blooming love.
Egyptian superstar Amr Waked impresses as the obsessive and soft-spoken sheikh, whose childlike candour and naïve optimism clashes head on with the hard reality of the world around him.
The destiny and dubious camaraderie between the scientist and the sheikh are governed by two headstrong women: Emily Blunt is the sheikh's no-nonsense representative, a gentle and engaging English beauty whose love life is in upheaval; and Kristin Scott Thomas, who is deliciously wicked as the British Prime Minister's fearsome spokesperson who will do anything for a headline.
Scott Thomas, in particular, adds fuel to the fire with her robust and energised performance, which results in plenty of laughs and lots of fun moments.
Just as fishing in the Yemen seems improbable, so did the adaptation of the screenplay, which is based on Paul Torday's 2006 debut novel and is composed entirely of emails, memos and letters. There are no first- or third-person exchanges and, while it is technically a very accomplished piece, it left the potential adapter with a Herculean task.
Simon Beaufoy, who also wrote The Full Monty, Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours has done an impeccable task of writing a screenplay filled with vivid characters who burst into life in a story that is touching, witty and a masterpiece in its own right.
The screenplay is superbly transferred to the big screen by Lasse Hallstrom, one of Sweden's most renowned directors, who is best known to international audiences as the maker of such poignant, but resolutely unsentimental, coming-of-age films as My Life As A Dog, What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Hachiko: A Dog's Story.
Hallstrom's direction is sublime; he consummately controls the smaller, intimate scenes between the characters and opens up the story to spectacular grandeur that captures the world of the story. You can taste the water, smell the desert landscape and feel the salmon swimming in the river; it's a visceral experience that totally overwhelms the senses and equally captures the emotional mindscape of its characters.
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen is not a film about fishing, it's a story about people; wonderfully warm and charismatic characters who actively pursue their respective destinies.
Through a hobby as straightforward as fishing, the film masterfully explores the complexity of human relationships, of how sometimes searching for love in all the wrong places can be just the right thing to do.
It wouldn't be surprising if you leave the cinema and escape into nature with your fishing gear, not to fish, but to find the tranquillity that the film so poignantly projects.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen serves as an significant reminder of how important it is to empower our lives with dreams, and to afford ourselves the luxury to break free from the obstacles that prevent us from experiencing the full spectrum of life.
It's a definite must for discerning viewers and also for anyone in search of meaning outside the rat race; a refreshing stress buster that is truly inspirational and ultimately rewarding and meaningful.
Rating 5/5
The character of Fred in Torday's book is a man in late middle age, but producer Paul Webster envisioned a younger man for the film adaptation and he really wanted Ewan McGregor for the role. "The first big step was that the character of Fred even in the script was written as an older man, but we were very, very keen on casting Ewan," he said. "Ewan is certainly not old, but he is an extremely experienced screen actor. What I think is happening with him now is that the kind of glamourous Hollywood boy star thing is morphing and maturing into something which is really interesting.
"I think he can be our Harrison Ford for the next few years. He's got all the attributes, the masculinity, charm, good looks. He is a fabulous actor in drama and comedy equally, he's got great timing and I think he is coming into a bit of a purple patch. For my money I think this is the best work he has ever done."
Co-producer Nicky Kentish-Barnes agreed. "Fred is very introverted and he's rather endearing at times," she noted. "It's a great role for Ewan." McGregor concurred, and drew particular enjoyment from finding his character's voice. "My own voice is a little too laid back for Fred," said the actor, "so we made it a bit more uptight, and there's a posh-sounding Scottish accent that's really fun to play - from Kelvinside, or Morningside would be the Edinburgh version."
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