Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011)

This post is cross-published on Full Metal Tackle and I am... Jack's Film Club.

British Film makes me believe in arranged marriage. Weird way to start a movie review, sure, but let me explain.

I married a British girl. Our relationship was sparked by movies and dogs, and even today we quote some of our favourite flicks to each other--it's kind of obsessive, but we like it.

Then there's Hugh Grant. Michelle had me watching all sorts of British movies, often starring Hugh Grant, and I just didn't get it. It was clear the film was trying to be humourous, and Michelle would chuckle, whereas I'd be left scratching my head.

Until one day, (h)aha! I got it. The subtle, straight-laced, completely insulting statements piqued a funny bone in me. I watched a whole British film, and enjoyed it! Ever since, I've been craving that same style, and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen delivers it, albeit in a slightly different fashion.

As for the arranged marriage thing, I figure if I can spend inordinate amounts of time with British film and love it, any two people forced to marry could begin to love each other too, given time.

Now, back to the show...

Enter Ewan McGregor. Normally smiling ear-to-ear (see the scene in The Island where they break out and he proclaims "Route 66" while pointing at a pack of matches), but instead playing a scientist with asperger's. He's straight-faced and completely crass, and when approached by Emily Blunt's character to establish a salmon fishery in the Yemen, makes exasperated claims which Emily takes literally all the while Ewan rides the line between sarcasm and asperger's, far too often seeming to fall too close to the former. As a reference point, see Bob Melnikov's portrayal of someone with asperger's in the short-lived Regensis TV series, the banal literalism and expression-less responses are similar, but his monotone delivery maintains itself well within the realm of asperger's, and maybe that's just it--maybe Ewan is too expressionable to be believed as someone with asperger's!

The story throws itself forward in near sitcom-like fashion with many cut scenes that pull you out of the absurdity that is Ewan's and Emily's relationship--business or personal--and at times could be considered nearly a cartoon portrayal. The romantic buildup of the core characters barely comes to a boil, the killed-in-action boyfriend of Emily and dreary breakup of Ewan's marraige both seem superficial to any part of the story.

This brings us to the fishing, you know, from the title "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen." Well, there's very little of it, and it strikes me as contrived as the sheikh delivers proclamation of his vision, meanwhile Ewan looks on and notices the sheikh has caught a fish. The excitement takes hold and the scene feels good, but in retrospect I can't help but wonder if there's an angler out there that can't monitor his line and proclaim his beliefs at the same time.

All in all, I think Salmon Fishing in the Yemen provides an awkward romantic comedy that could appeal to an acquired taste, especially an acquired taste in british film.