Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen revolves around the vision of a sheikh (Amr Waked) who wishes to use his love for salmon fishing as a means to enrich the lives of his local people. Dead set on making his dream a reality, he contacts Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt), his representative, and asks her to do the necessary, at whatever price, to make his dream a reality. She seeks the help of the British governments leading fisheries expert, Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor), who unwilling joins what he considers to be one big joke. Things get even more complicated when Bridget Maxwell (Kristin Scott Thomas), the Prime Minister’s press secretary, makes the whole project a “goodwill” opportunity, to create a positive vibe between the Middle East and the British. Armed with nothing more than faith and a whole lot of fish, this team sets out to do what Dr. Jones considers to be “theoretically” possible.
When you are presented with a film that is based around fishing, of all sports, you become a bit skeptical about the whole thing. Its a big risk choosing such a niche subject and trying to make a film that appeals to everybody. However, with Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, it is a risk that has paid off. Whether your interested in fishing or not, this movie will have elements that you will absolutely fall in love with. Simon Beaufoy has done a magical job in adapting Paul Torday’s book. He has definitely kept the the heart and soul of Torday’s story in his screenplay, mixing together witty dialogue and great conversations. With this being comedy-drama, comedy has not been overused or misused. It is used as an element to enhance the story as a whole and the characters involved. Certain comedic instances may not particularly be required, but they don’t take away any value from the film. After having a go at reading the synopsis, you’d expect a film of this nature to be very cheesy. Its not at all. What Hallström does very well is use fishing not as a subject of discussion but rather a central common ground between the characters. Each character is taken down a different path towards the same goal and seeing that blossom on screen is truly amazing to watch. Sophisticated dialogue and great story transitions make the most of every moment.
There are a few patches in the film when it comes to the overall story that definitely could have been improved. However, these are pretty hard to notice primarily because of the brilliant performances showcased by the cast. In fact, it is the highlight of the entire film. Ewan McGregor digs deep and showcases his Scottish side, illuminating the character of Dr. Alfred Jones. You are introduced to this sophisticated man who just intrigues you at every stage of the film. Emily Blunt brings to life the very professional and self-contained Harriet Chetwode-Talbot while adding her on-screen cuteness that just makes her character adorable. However, if we are to talk about characters, Kristin Scott Thomas’s performance as Patricia Maxwell is just mind blowing. Her fast-paced, unrestricted dialogue adds that extra oomph to the story line that just makes for an interesting character on screen. When you think about a government press person, you do get the impression that they are going to be a bit aggressive, a bit over the top and Scott Thomas delivers that in her character. Kudo’s to the crew for selecting a brilliant cast!
What Salmon Fishing in the Yemen does quite well is add a different dimension to a rather niche subject, putting together amazing film elements and an outstanding cast, to create a truly pleasant movie to watch. The story may not be for everyone but simply watching the cast perform is worth every moment.
Ewan McGregor & Emily Blunt. Frankly, it doesn’t take much more to convince one to head off to the theater. Both McGregor and Blunt co-star in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, a new British comedy-drama directed by Swedish director Lasse Hallström. The screenplay, written by Slumdog Millionaire screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, is based around Paul Torday’s book of the same name, which won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for comic writing in 2007 and the Waverton Good Read Award in 2008.

The Ghost Writer

In Roman Polanski's The Tenant a man moves to the apartment of a woman who recently committed suicide there. Strange things occur in the building and the new tenant slowly assumes the identity of the dead woman. It's a disturbing situation that Polanski takes to its logical conclusion.
I mention this as a way of introducing The Ghost Writer because here again Polanski takes up the idea of the average man who, because of the circumstances surrounding him, slips out of his identity to sink into someone else's. Polanski hadn't made a psychological thriller in ten years, since The Ninth Gate. It's a pleasure to see the master hasn't lost his craft.
Ewan McGregor plays a ghost writer assigned to help the ex-prime-minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) finish his much-anticipated memoirs. The ghost, as he jokingly calls himself, takes the job under ominous circumstances: his predecessor had recently washed up on a beach, dead from either a drinking accident or suicide. It seems like a sign. But $250,000 are enough to temporarily quell the ghost's doubts.
The ghost travels from London to the USA, where Lang has taken residence on a remote island to finish the memoirs. There he meets his wife, Ruth (Olivia Williams) and his hospitable secretary (Kim Cattrall). Ruth seems to be the brains of the relationship and Lang a pretty down-to-earth guy with little interest in politics. The writing goes well, with the ghost looking for the emotions in Lang's past, the things ordinary people will want to read about, and Lang being pretty open about it.
But suddenly Lang becomes the centre of an investigation regarding war crimes; accusations arise that he may have assisted in the kidnapping and torturing of innocent people in the war on terrorism. Lang's life becomes a media spectacle. And to make matters worse, the ghost starts finding discrepancies in the details of Lang's past, details that his dead predecessor had also discovered and was investigating. Using the clues left by him, the ghost slowly unravels a vast conspiracy.
The Ghost Writer seems to have come out of the '70s. I say this as a compliment to that magical decade of filmmaking whose thrillers have set the modern standards and have seldom been surpassed. There is little physical action in the movie but a lot of intellectual activity going on. It seems to relish in finding and interpreting clues, in following intuition, in seeing all the pieces of a puzzle slowly but neatly fit together. In one of my favourite sequences, the ghost takes his predecessor's car to go back to his motel. But the car's GPS is on and its locked coordinates urge him to go in the opposite direction. The ghost, partly following his gut, partly wanting to shut up the annoying GPS, follows the coordinates, travels by ferry to the mainland and arrives at the doorstep of a man who ends up having a central role in the conspiracy.
The movie doesn't just entertain with a mysterious, suspenseful story (the screenplay was written by Polanski and Robert Harris, the novel's author); it's a perfect example of filmmaking. The ghost brings with him the foul British weather: there's little sunshine in the movie; cinematographer Pawel Edelman, with whom Polanski worked in The Pianist, suffuses the movie with nebulous tones, giving it a sense of hostility and melancholy. Alexander Desplat's score, by opposition, shouldn't work as well as it does, with its light-heartedness and exuberance. But its dreamy, fast-paced tunes end up accentuating the ghost's feelings of mistrust and anxiety.
It's in this impressive atmosphere that the actors give very fine performances. Ewan McGregor, whom I've never loved, grabbed all my attention as the innocent nobody (he doesn't even have a name in the movie) who gets involved in something way over his head. Olivia Williams' self-restraint in her performance can only be fully appreciated by the end of the movie, when it's revealed to be an essential part of her character's personality. And Pierce Brosnan is pretty at ease in his role of a disgraced ex-prime minister, eliciting sympathy while being something of a jerk at the same time.
The Ghost Writer is not terribly ambitious. It isn't here to reinvent the thriller. Polanski knows what works and knows how to make it work, and he shows precision and effortlessness at creating suspense, telling a story and bringing all the aspects of filmmaking together. Roman Polanski's return to the genre that made him famous around the world is above all an opportunity for the 76-year-old director to just have some fun doing what he loves most. The viewer is more than welcome in joining the fun.

Beginners

Beginners provides hope to those who want to turn over a new leaf and start from scratch again. That is the moral here as well. It's never to late to start over. Whether you're in your mid-thirties looking for a serious relationship, or an elderly man who has finally exited the closet, it's never to late to begin a new cycle.
Here is a movie with great characters played by marvelous character actors, and a script by Mike Mills that is based off of his own life. Mills' mother died of brain cancer in 1999 and his father came out of the closet a week after her death, despite having being married for forty-four years. The Mills character is portrayed by a stellar Ewan McGregor, a thirty-ish man by the name of Oliver. Oliver has a fear of commitment when he is in a relationship, and he lives a modest life in a small house with his more-than-meets-the-eye Jack Russell Terrier. After Oliver's parents die, this is what he resorts to. The film has a very nonlinear narrative since the film is composed of flashbacks from three stages in his life. The first is his childhood, the second is shortly after his father's proclaimed homosexuality, and the third is current time when he is dating the lovely and beautiful Anna (Laurent).
After Oliver's mother's death, his father Hal (Plummer) announces he is gay and wants to start dating in his own field. Oliver is stunned that his father managed to shelter the fact from his mother and himself for so long, but is optimistic about his future.
Probably one of the biggest show-stealing dogs in history is the one who accompanies Oliver for much of the film set in present time. He's not one of those cliché, kiddie-movie dogs that speak entirely in puns and pop culture jokes. Oliver's dog communicates in witty, cleverly placed subtitles that add flavor to the film's sentimentality. He is probably one of the best dog actors I've seen since Uggie in The Artist.
Beginners could've easily been a recipe for self indulgence, false sentimentality, and heavy-handedness since this is a real life story from a fairly new director. However, everything is taken in a subtle, respectable manner. Emotions aren't blunt and too obvious,the script suffices even during some of the shaky romantic scenes, and I believe it only has one considerable flaw. That flaw is that Christopher Plummer's character's homosexuality is a bit too obvious. I'm not saying he overacts, but the film dances around the sole fact too much. It seems like it tries to be daring by continuing to spell it out. Yet it doesn't bring down the gem the film really is.
This isn't a deep drama, but it doesn't feel too cutesy. The film erects characters that are very likable and have ambition to be happier and wind up doing all in their power to achieve it. Both Hal and Oliver find very courteous and loyal partners in their efforts and everything ends rather smoothly. Beginners clings on to an undying sense of hopefulness and creativity from the moment it begins, and doesn't let go even when the chips are down. It's a seriously kind-hearted film.
NOTE: Why the R rating? Most likely because the MPAA feels that since it's a movie dealing with the subject of homosexuality that young people should be sheltered from it. When in reality, many teenagers are homophobic and these are the kinds of films they should see.