I love to watch Lasse Hallström's movies. His name has been a special sign of a landmark since the early 1990s - the time of " What's Eating Gilbert Grape" your beloved of all "Chocolate" ;), "The Shipping News" with the superb Kevin Spacey and Judy Dench, the intriguing "Casanova", the fairly narrative "An Unfinished Life" with the always brilliant Robert Redford, and closing our eyes on the oversold sweetheart of "Dear John" ... So we get to his latest work "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen ", which looks like a fairy tale - a breath. The movie is fun - laughs sincerely, but delicately; enjoys very good acting, and if we allow ourselves not to think too deeply - we may even swallow the excessive predictability of the final episodes.
An inspired sheik (the impressive sapphire eyes of Egyptian actor Amr Wakefield decides to explore the question of whether the entire ecosystem of Yemen can change so that salmon is grown there, a pretty crazy idea, is not it? fish farming (all) and salmon lives Dr. Alfred Jones (starring Ewan McGregor) who explains with fun pictures the temperature and oxygen requirements for the normal development of the fish-traveler. and the interests of the Sheikh in the UK - Harriet (Emily Blunt), which transmits the financial parameters of her employer's hypothetical-fantasy project, and as a result the sheik invites Dr. Jones to visit her Scottish mansion and explains to him that he is being pushed not only by egotistical motives (to practice the hobby), but also by willingness to engage their subjects in a slightly different way of life, to create livelihood, to change their thinking, to bla bla, and to all sorts of similar altruistic explanations. Forced by his bosses and subsequently ambitious - mostly because of the apparent improbability of such a project, Dr. Jones has been stepping up. An additional "fuel" in his thirst for success poured the frigid disinterest of his own wife and the sympathetic, energetic Harriet. But in the meantime, she is shocked by the news that her three-week-old boyfriend may have died during a campaign in Afghanistan. Oh, forgive - we slowed down in the clarification WHY this action is happening with the fish: in general, because the British Prime Minister's press officer ("irony," delightful to his image, Christine Scott Thomas!) Is also needed "good news from Middle East"!
Maybe here I have to look for some of my dissatisfaction - I was expecting the joking criticism, which tends to ironic, sarcastically colored, to be more categorical in the face of the famous political manipulation. I did not like this part of the story that was the last-most press-script scenario - and I do not think I can explain why "exactly", I just "falsely" sounded this thread of the plot as a thinly-made sugar cotton. It was not my taste for the moralizing sermons "about the fish and the faith" - the Sheikh and the Fisherman, you see, have been reeling to believe (wtf ?!) that the fish (in an unfamiliar / unusual environment) would have obeyed instinct and swim against the current. Unnecessary judgment would have been "clearer" to viewers if this philosophical deviation was lacking, but still the detail was a matter of directorial vision and scenario. Which reminds me that the development of heartbeat was too predictable for my taste ... But we did not forget to make the point that " Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" could be a fairy tale - then things are pleasant and acceptable.
I would not miss to pay special attention to the actors - everyone enjoys very good performances! I do not know why Ewan McGregor seemed to "replicate" his character Catcher Blok from "Below the love!" To some extent, but I can look too - obviously, Mr. Halstrom gives a more frivolous view of history. Sheikh is improbably altruistic, in that fairy-tale style. Emily Blount's chick is "ok," but it would not do much to get more passion in her performance. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" is written by Simon Beufoy and with the knowledge of his creative potential I feel a little disappointment from the story of the story and the plot of history. But actually the film was a nice and fresh breath of oxygen (rich in oxygen), which we decided to expect when we heard about the project. British cinema with real class directed by Halstrom - I highly recommend!