Samon Fishing in the Yemen (2011)

[Edgy MD]

Yemeni sheik wants to take his favorite Scottish hobby home, so enlists the help of UK fishery civil servent (Ewan McGregor) and financial project manager or something (Emily Blunt) to introduce salmon to Yemeni waters.

Metaphors happen.

[Guest sharpie]

Saw it while in Washington (state) in the spring.

Didn't like it very much while watching it and the next day while hiking through the woods we spent a long while talking about the holes and the lameness of this film.

For instance:

First Ewan McGregor says that those farm-fished fish are unusable for his project and then he decides that yes they are usable based on, what, him deciding that he could change his life so the fish could too.

The stupid terrorist subplot.

The solider boyfriend subplot.

The utter waste of Kristen Scott Thomas.

I'm sure there's more but I've spent pretty much no time since then thinking about that movie.

Two stars. Emily Blunt was pretty good.

[Edgy MD]

That almost sums it up for me. The plot contrivances were visible far-off. I was perhaps more tolerant but not very much so. I don't know what was particularly good about Emily Blunt. I guess her character started off more interestingly.

If you think about the shallowness of the soldier subplot, it really sums up what's become of the broad attitude about soldiers. They're convenient when you need them, with a cool and sexy image, but not really considered as real three-dimensional people, and easily disposable with no regard for the suffering of their offscreen families.

Add in a cheap Asperger's Syndrome joke.

[Guest themetfairy]

We watched this today on On Demand. It's a pleasant, entertaining little film that doesn't suffer from the small screen. Emily Blunt was wonderful, as always, and Kristen Scott Thomas provided some snarky comic relief. Not a great film, but unlike The Most Exotic Marigold Hotel this was watchable - there are worse ways to pass a snowy wintry afternoon than by sitting down with this one.