There is no surprise as to what this new rom-com is
about as the title says it all. Literally. Based on Paul Today’s best selling novel the movie comes across as Hollywood’s patronizing way of
saying that some Arabs are really quite nice people, even in they waste
their new found wealth of silly harmless things.
about as the title says it all. Literally. Based on Paul Today’s best selling novel the movie comes across as Hollywood’s patronizing way of
saying that some Arabs are really quite nice people, even in they waste
their new found wealth of silly harmless things.
Consultant Harriet Chetwode-Talbot’s wealthy Client, a
Yemeni sheikh, asks her for help to fulfill his vision to introduce salmon
fishing to his country that is mainly a desert. She in turn asks Fred Jones a humorless
British Government official at the Ministries of Fisheries for help and he rejects the idea as being
totally unfeasible. However, the Prime Minister’s press secretary, Patricia
Maxwell fastens onto it as a “good will” story of Anglo-Arab cooperation
to distract the voters from ongoing bad news out of Afghanistan, and pressures
Fred into working with Harriet and the sheikh to implement the project. He
gradually comes to believe in the sheikh’s quest. Estranged from his very cold
fish of a wife, Fred falls in love with Harriet, whose boyfriend (of three
whole weeks!) Robert has just gone Missing In Action in the war. After Fred
declares his love to Harriet, Robert returns alive, requiring her to choose
between the two men. The fish are released and the project seems to be
succeeding, but it is sabotaged by local militants, who destroy the salmon
runs. But when Fred sees some fish have survived, he regains his faith, and
Harriet joins him to fulfill the sheikh’s vision.
Yemeni sheikh, asks her for help to fulfill his vision to introduce salmon
fishing to his country that is mainly a desert. She in turn asks Fred Jones a humorless
British Government official at the Ministries of Fisheries for help and he rejects the idea as being
totally unfeasible. However, the Prime Minister’s press secretary, Patricia
Maxwell fastens onto it as a “good will” story of Anglo-Arab cooperation
to distract the voters from ongoing bad news out of Afghanistan, and pressures
Fred into working with Harriet and the sheikh to implement the project. He
gradually comes to believe in the sheikh’s quest. Estranged from his very cold
fish of a wife, Fred falls in love with Harriet, whose boyfriend (of three
whole weeks!) Robert has just gone Missing In Action in the war. After Fred
declares his love to Harriet, Robert returns alive, requiring her to choose
between the two men. The fish are released and the project seems to be
succeeding, but it is sabotaged by local militants, who destroy the salmon
runs. But when Fred sees some fish have survived, he regains his faith, and
Harriet joins him to fulfill the sheikh’s vision.
And they all live happily ever after. Except for
Fred’s wife and soldier boy Robert, but then again no-one really cared for them
anyway.
Fred’s wife and soldier boy Robert, but then again no-one really cared for them
anyway.
The story is as exciting as that, but it did have
potential as the screenplay had been written by Simon Beaufoy, who had won an
Oscar for writing ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. and an Oscar Nomination for ‘The Full Monty’, so we know he can be really funny.
Trouble was the movie was directed by Lasse Hallstrom whose speciality
is putting way too much saccharine into his pictures (‘The Cider House Rules’, ‘Chocolat’, ‘Dear John’ etc) and so the result was too much sap and not nearly enough zap.
potential as the screenplay had been written by Simon Beaufoy, who had won an
Oscar for writing ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. and an Oscar Nomination for ‘The Full Monty’, so we know he can be really funny.
Trouble was the movie was directed by Lasse Hallstrom whose speciality
is putting way too much saccharine into his pictures (‘The Cider House Rules’, ‘Chocolat’, ‘Dear John’ etc) and so the result was too much sap and not nearly enough zap.
Thank goodness for the ever-wonderful Kirstin Scott
Thomas. As the brisk no-nonsense
hilarious Patricia Maxwell she
made the whole thing bearable, especially in scenes where she is directing the
Press and a hapless British Foreign Secretary in the middle of the salmon lake in
the Yemen in a manner so very reminiscent of
Edina Monsoon. Note to Ms Scott Thomas :
please do more comedy as you have such a natural flair for it especially if you can
make us laugh even in this droll piece.
Thomas. As the brisk no-nonsense
hilarious Patricia Maxwell she
made the whole thing bearable, especially in scenes where she is directing the
Press and a hapless British Foreign Secretary in the middle of the salmon lake in
the Yemen in a manner so very reminiscent of
Edina Monsoon. Note to Ms Scott Thomas :
please do more comedy as you have such a natural flair for it especially if you can
make us laugh even in this droll piece.
B.T.W., its not that the ‘stars’ Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor were bad as
the fish loving lovers, but it was all so predictable that you wish they
hurried it up a little. Wait for the DVD, as a fast forward button is essential for this one.
the fish loving lovers, but it was all so predictable that you wish they
hurried it up a little. Wait for the DVD, as a fast forward button is essential for this one.
★★★★★★
