Just as Maggie Smith and Judi Dench are today's senior British actors "par excellence," Emily Blunt and Ewen MacGregor are the next generation of British acting afficionados.
They are brilliant in a very offbeat film.
What's the film with the crazy title about? It's a light-weight romantic comedy about two young people saddled with the daunting dask of pleasing an Arab sheik's whimsy by stocking salmon in an artificial river in the Yemen. Huh? Yes indeed, that's the story!
No details, so as not to be a spoiler, but the fun of this film is in the spirit: it's all about being an optimist. Remember Field of Dreams? The doubting farmer hears a voice: "Build it and they will come." Similarly, a sheik, with western leanings, thinks: Build the river, and the salmon will survive!
Back to the actors: Ewen charms as the nerdy scientist who becomes obsessed with the salmon project. He eventually discovers a lot about life in the process. To me, his best role to date is in A Life Less Ordinary, where, opposite Carmen Diaz, he shines as an imbalanced but harmless kidnapper. In Salmon, he plays the asocial, committed scientist to perfection.
Emily Blunt's most memorable film role for me is still in the film The Devil Wears Prada, where she plays the bitchy assistant to the even more bitchy boss. In Salmon, she captivates audiences with her wit and charm as the government worker who must make the project a success. She lights up the screen when she smiles.
Worth seeing? By all means. The film is basically a romance, with some profound themes intermingled.
So go view this film, and go fly fishing with those young stars in the Yemen! You'll enjoy the sport of thinking outside of the box.
I liked this film. Didn't love it. I am a huge MacGregor fan and was attracted to the unique premise. I guess I just expected more from it. More gut, more heartstrings, more theme. I feel this movie didn't quite no what it wanted to be - romance? political snapshot? redemption?
ReplyDeleteBut, yes, I enjoyed the watching of it.