Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012)

All Critics (138) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (92) | Rotten (45) | DVD (1)

The stars are endearing enough to keep things tolerable, though you may wonder why even McGregor's Scots brogue sounds artificially sweetened here.

April 17, 2012 Full Review

Guy Lodge

Time Out

Top Critic

Hallstrom shores up his film with a terrific cast that can often make up for the parts that sag under the uneven weight of preciousness.

March 29, 2012 Full Review

Connie Ogle

Miami Herald

Top Critic

Only Scott Thomas, biting off all her sentences like a piranha, rescues "Salmon Fishing" from being a by-the-numbers romantic comedy; you wish the redoubtable Ms. Maxwell had her own movie.

March 22, 2012 Full Review

Moira MacDonald

Seattle Times

Top Critic

While "Salmon Fishing" fritters away the comic momentum of its madcap opening chapters, it's like angling -- a pleasant diversion if you can look below the surface and muster the patience to appreciate it.

March 22, 2012 Full Review

Colin Covert

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Top Critic

A charming little movie.

March 22, 2012 Full Review | Comment (1)

Bill Goodykoontz

Arizona Republic

Top Critic

While both Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor are enormously appealing actors, Hallstrom has made a movie that pretends it is something it's not -- namely, an intelligent romantic comedy.

March 16, 2012 Full Review | Comments (3)

John Anderson

Newsday

Top Critic

... just because something seems absurd doesn't mean it can't happen. And just because a film seems to lack surprises doesn't mean it won't take an entirely satisfying turn at the end.

April 21, 2013 Full Review

Matt Kelemen

Las Vegas CityLife

As it stands, the best elements of the film become mired in the unwelcome narrative muck, branding Salmon Fishing in the Yemen the one that got away.

September 15, 2012 Full Review

Kristal Cooper

We Got This Covered

Everything that happens is horribly predictable, and the tone varies from light and fluffy to over-the-top camp, especially with Kristin Scott Thomas as the cynical British press secretary.

September 4, 2012 Full Review

Eric Melin

Scene-Stealers.com

Faith, serenity, dreams, possibilities, duty and honor, love . . . and fishing. "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" somehow ties them all together, and without so much as a kink in the line.

July 4, 2012 Full Review

James Plath

Movie Metropolis

...thanks to Simon Beaufoy's fantastically witty script, Salmon Fishing is a fun and often unpredictable ride.

May 17, 2012 Full Review

Rebecca Barry

Flicks.co.nz

Guts most of the edgy features of the novel.

May 1, 2012 Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Apart from some glaring orientalist, sweeping generalisations and characterisations of Yemeni and Arabic people was a cute and painfully predictable British comedy featuring a measured accomplished performance from Ewan McGregor.

April 26, 2012 Full Review

Blake Howard

2UE That Movie Show

A bizarre and original comedy which offsets its narrative flaws with prevailing chemistry between Blunt and McGregor.

April 25, 2012 Full Review

Shaun Munro

What Culture

These are scrunched script pages from Armando Iannucci's waste bin.

April 25, 2012 Full Review

Ed Whitfield

The Ooh Tray

See! This is how you do romantic comedy!... You make it funny by putting real people in a situation that's a just tad fantastical and watch them cope with it.

April 25, 2012 Full Review

MaryAnn Johanson

Flick Filosopher

A lame, sentimental enterprise.

April 22, 2012 Full Review

Philip French

Observer [UK]

Co-star Tom Mison's ( ... ) character is so thinly sketched, so invisible for the most part - physically and emotionally - that he'll probably wonder in years to come if that's him on screen or his stand in.

April 20, 2012 Full Review

Graham Young

Birmingham Mail

Unfortunately, these characters belong to different worlds that don't meld, cartoonish political satire and dopey romcom.

April 20, 2012 Full Review

David Sexton

This is London

Blunt and McGregor act beautifully and their tale is charming.

April 20, 2012 Full Review

Christopher Tookey

Daily Mail [UK]

Lasse Hallstrom's beautifully-shot but at times cloyingly sentimental rom-com.

April 20, 2012 Full Review

Catherine Jones

Liverpool Echo

Attractive, picture postcard cinematography from Terry Stacey adds to the appeal of a film that is easy on the eye and pleasantly undemanding in every other respect.

April 20, 2012 Full Review

Allan Hunter

Daily Express

It's hard to see the fish for the froth in Lasse Hallstrom's twee adaptation of Paul Torday's novel.

April 20, 2012 Full Review

Amber Wilkinson

Eye for Film

Is there any genre more wearying than the plodding, fat- brained adaptation of last year's book club favourite?

April 20, 2012 Full Review | Comment (1)

Donald Clarke

Irish Times

This is at times shamelessly hokey but forgivably so as it's engaging, uplifting and thoroughly enjoyable.

April 19, 2012 Full Review | Comment (1)

Alex Zane

Sun Online

• 1. Dr. Alfred Jones: Up his arse with a meter ruler!
  – Submitted by Christian B (7 months ago)
• 1. Dr. Alfred Jones: I'm more of a facts and figures man.
  – Submitted by Christian B (7 months ago)
• 1. Dr. Alfred Jones: For future reference, I have a 32 inch waist line, Ms. Chetwode-Talbot. Not a 34. No pies for me.
  – Submitted by Christian B (7 months ago)
• 1. Sheikh Muhammed: Faith, Dr. Alfred?
  2. Dr. Alfred Jones: Damn it. Yes, alright then, faith!
  – Submitted by Christian B (7 months ago)
• 1. Dr. Alfred Jones: Oh no, the Ministry of Defence don't like uncertainty, so if someone was dead, they'd just say dead.
  2. Harriet Chetwode-Talbot: Can you stop using that word?
  3. Dr. Alfred Jones: Sorry.
  – Submitted by Augusta M (7 months ago)
• 1. Dr. Alfred Jones: I don't know anyone who goes to church anymore.
  2. Harriet Chetwode-Talbot: Hmm, I don't think I do either.
  3. Dr. Alfred Jones: On Sunday, we go to Target.
  – Submitted by Abi M (9 months ago)

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