I can no longer deny that I enjoy quiet movies like this. This one is no exception. It's got the right amalgam of exotic location, topicality, character development, intelligent and articulate dialogue, good acting, philosophising, political commentary, understatement, humour and sappiness. It makes you feel good -- well, at least a little better -- about the world.
Strangely, the movie is not really about Yemen, salmon or fishing. I like its optimistic realism: things don't always work out the way you want or thought they would -- but you have to move on and make the best of it. This is what makes movies like this very unHollywood.
McGregor, Blunt, Waked and Thomas stand out as the real stars in the movie, but all the actors put in fine performances. McGregor's range and acting ability are astonishing; Waked was an interesting surprise.
It was impossible to know how Harriet would decide in the end. A real cliffhanger. I'm not sure she made the right choice!
Was the movie perfect? Of course not. I was not deeply moved by this movie. Also, perhaps Mison's character could have been developed more. It bothered me, too, that the sheikh had so much money to play with. I worried too much about the wisdom of the environmental re-engineering. I felt the social and political problems in Yemen were glossed over completely. (However, they could have picked any similar country or even an imaginary country.) Because of these factors, I'm reducing my score from 8 to 7.
I recommend the film to anyone who likes quiet, intelligent movies with a bit of romance. Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt fans will love this film.
Strangely, the movie is not really about Yemen, salmon or fishing. I like its optimistic realism: things don't always work out the way you want or thought they would -- but you have to move on and make the best of it. This is what makes movies like this very unHollywood.
McGregor, Blunt, Waked and Thomas stand out as the real stars in the movie, but all the actors put in fine performances. McGregor's range and acting ability are astonishing; Waked was an interesting surprise.
It was impossible to know how Harriet would decide in the end. A real cliffhanger. I'm not sure she made the right choice!
Was the movie perfect? Of course not. I was not deeply moved by this movie. Also, perhaps Mison's character could have been developed more. It bothered me, too, that the sheikh had so much money to play with. I worried too much about the wisdom of the environmental re-engineering. I felt the social and political problems in Yemen were glossed over completely. (However, they could have picked any similar country or even an imaginary country.) Because of these factors, I'm reducing my score from 8 to 7.
I recommend the film to anyone who likes quiet, intelligent movies with a bit of romance. Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt fans will love this film.