Salmon Fishing: Delightful movie surprise

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 15 March 2012 13:55

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie — new or classic — to help families choose what to watch. This week’s pick is a new romantic comedy, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.

Creating a romantic comedy is like preparing a delicate dessert. Only when the ingredients are right, the recipe makes sense and the chef displays patience can the outcome delight. If any part of the process is overdone, the cinema soufflé will surely fail.

The lovely new film Salmon Fishing in the Yemen surprises with its ease, taste and delectable lightness. Here is a movie that dares to start with an outrageous concept, takes the time to develop how its characters relate, and never resorts to the sitcom approaches that plague similar films. The movie satisfies our hunger for something fresh at the movies because its creators understand how stale the familiar can be.

Those moviemakers — Lasse Hallstrom, the director of Chocolat and The Cider House Rules, and Simon Beaufoy, the writer of Slumdog Millionnaire and The Full Monty — certainly know their way around the cinema kitchen. They take a much-loved novel by Paul Torday, let the humor naturally emerge from character and situation, and spice it up with a smashing cast including a scene-stealing performance from Kristin Scott Thomas. The result is a most endearing romantic comedy.

Salmon Fishing carefully balances the exaggerated with the grounded. When a rich sheik from the Middle East decides the best thing for his country is to build a river in the desert for salmon, he looks to Great Britain for the answers and the fish. As his investment consultant engages the best brain in Britain about fish, the Prime Minister’s press secretary latches on to the public relations appeal. What could be better public relations for her government than to make an impossible dream come true while promoting world peace?

While the premise may sound preposterous, the relationship it frames naturally develops. Ewan McGregor, who simply gets better with every film, creates a marvelous character of the fish expert who defines his life by his limitations. He lives in a loveless marriage, works in a stifling environment, and yearns to accomplish and experience more. When he teams with an ambitious investment consultant, played by Emily Blunt, the shy man begins to consider what he has avoided. Just as the salmon he loves search for ways to thrive, this man begins to discover the joy he has been reluctant to experience.

As with the best romantic comedies, what lasts from this film are the quiet moments of surprise. Never has Blunt appeared so natural. Her breakthrough performance in The Devil Wears Prada indicated a fun comic sense for the absurd; her work in The Young Victoria suggested a talent overwhelmed by mannerisms. Here she is natural, appealing and warm. McGregor, so endearing in Beginners last year, continues to mature as a reliable actor who refuses to follow the obvious approaches. Kristin Scott Thomas makes every moment work as a driven woman who manages without boundaries. Just look at what she does with a telephone cord while planning a media response as she sends her children and husband off for the day. She is hilarious.

At a time of year when we begin to fear how loud movies will become, it’s marvelous to be surprised by an entry so quiet and fresh.

Film Nutritional Value

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

* Content: High. At its core is a beautifully developed exploration of how even the most predictable situations and people have the capacity to delight.

* Entertainment: High. Even with its exaggerated premise, Salmon Fishing grounds itself in the development of characters we grow to care for.

* Message: Medium. The essence of romantic comedy is rarely message; simply sit back and enjoy the film and its surprises.

* Relevance: High. Any opportunity to be this entertained at the movies is always relevant.

* Opportunity for Dialogue: Medium. This is a film to enjoy, not necessarily to dissect. While it won’t shed any light on world issues, it will make you smile.

(Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is rated PG for some violence and sexual content, and brief language. The film runs 111 minutes.)

4 Popcorn Buckets

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