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Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

PG-13 Released Mar 9, 2012 1h 51m Comedy Drama Romance List
68% Tomatometer 152 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) is a fisheries scientist who one day receives an unusual request: A businesswoman named Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) wants his help in fulfilling a wealthy sheik's (Amr Waked) request to bring sport fishing to Yemen. Jones declines at first, but when the British prime minister's spokeswoman latches on to the project as a way to improve Middle East relations, he joins in. Romance blooms as Jones and Harriet work to make the sheik's dream come true.
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Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

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Critics Consensus

Quirky and a little reserved, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is nonetheless a charming little romantic drama sold by some strong central performances.

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Critics Reviews

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Deborah Ross The Spectator OK, if this film teaches us anything, it teaches us how to take a perfectly fine book and transform it into a mushy, corny, ghastly mess of the most trying kind. Aug 31, 2018 Full Review Kimber Myers The Playlist It's an affable, inoffensive British comedy that just wants you to like it so much that you can't help but snicker behind its back. Rated: C+ Aug 15, 2013 Full Review David Sexton London Evening Standard Unfortunately, these characters belong to different worlds that don't meld, cartoonish political satire and dopey romcom. Rated: 2/5 Apr 20, 2012 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Enjoyable even with its flaws, of which there are many, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen has enough of a sweet romance to earn a mild recommendation. Rated: 2.5/4 Dec 5, 2022 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” has charm, a lot of heart, and some really good laughs. Rated: 4/5 Aug 25, 2022 Full Review Jack Fleischer Battleship Pretension Based on the popular epistolary novel of the same name, this is not a political documentary, but rather a light, British, romantic comedy... Mar 24, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Sean S The two amazing leads carry this movie and make it truly delightful. The scenery is breathtaking as well. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/07/23 Full Review Andrea C Film dall'idea romantica che mantiene i toni leggeri evitando di introdursi in discussioni troppo pesanti dal punto di vista della politica e dell'ideologia. I personaggi sono ben costruiti e le loro storie sono chiare, fruibili ed identificabili. Ovviamente l'originalità del concetto su cui si basa l'opera lascia aperte numerose possiblità, alcune delle quali vengono sfruttate piuttosto bene. Forse stona la storia d'amore con il militare disperso che sembra veramente non necessaria per la qualità della trama e anzi ne mina parzialmente l'originalità. Non è un film fatto per diventare un capolavoro, ma è un film godibile ed interessante che sicuramente non è stato già visto altrove. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/13/23 Full Review Blob d Salmon Fishing in the Yemen offers fine performance from the two leads but fails to drive its interesting narrative with any distinctive sequences, making the experience quite forgettable. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 05/19/23 Full Review Hans Olav H It is a hidden gem, or maybe the rare catch of the perfect salmon. It is quirky but warm and funny. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/18/23 Full Review D H Well, I just loved this movie. Funny and charming,. So uplifting, wonderful performances by Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt with beautiful scenery too. We could do with more movies like this. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/06/23 Full Review dave s In Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, director Lasse Hallstrom takes the standard rom-com formula and adds a fascinating backstory, making it a cut above the average entry in the genre. When a wealthy Yemini sheik decides to create a river in his homeland and stock it with salmon to satisfy his love of fly fishing, businesswoman Harriet (Emily Blunt) and fisheries bureaucrat Alfred (Ewan McGregor) are brought together to co-ordinate the seemingly implausible project. While the romantic angle feels entirely predictable, what makes the film a success is the fascinating process of creating a fishery in an inhospitable land of sand and heat. The chemistry between Blunt and McGregor feels real, the scenery in Scotland and Yemen is beautiful, and the script allows the relationship to evolve naturally. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is nothing if not interesting and dares to be a little bit different from the standard fare. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Emily Blunt as Harriet Chetwode-Talbot and Ewan McGregor as Fred Jones in "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen." Emily Blunt as Harriet Chetwode-Talbot and Ewan McGregor as Fred Jones in "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen." Ewan McGregor as Fred Jones and Emily Blunt as Harriet Chetwode-Talbot in "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen." (L-R) Amr Waked as Sheikh and Ewan McGregor as Fred Jones in "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen." (L-R) Kristin Scott Thomas as Patricia Maxwell, Hamish Gray as Malcolm and Amr Waked as Sheikh in "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen." Ewan McGregor as Fred Jones in "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) is a fisheries scientist who one day receives an unusual request: A businesswoman named Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) wants his help in fulfilling a wealthy sheik's (Amr Waked) request to bring sport fishing to Yemen. Jones declines at first, but when the British prime minister's spokeswoman latches on to the project as a way to improve Middle East relations, he joins in. Romance blooms as Jones and Harriet work to make the sheik's dream come true.
Director
Lasse Hallström
Producer
Paul Webster
Screenwriter
Simon Beaufoy
Distributor
CBS Films
Production Co
BBC Film, Kudos Pictures, UK Film Council, Davis Films, CBS Films
Rating
PG-13 (Sexual Content|Brief Language|Some Violence)
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 9, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 28, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$73.0K
Runtime
1h 51m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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