Touches You

Nice effects though.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

A fisheries expert, Dr Alfred Jones (played by Ewan McGregor), is hired by a wealthy sheikh to introduce salmon fishing to the desert of the Yemen.Weak. Starts faltering, treading a fine line between quirkily amusing and nerdily dull. Just when it seems like quirkily amusing may just win out, it all just falls apart with some silly contrivances. Very silly and disappointing ending.Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt are dull, but that's what is required for their characters. Kristin Scott-Thomas is probably the pick of the performances, as the cynical, always-thinking-of-an-angle PM's PR person.

McGregor plays stuffy government employee Dr. Alfred Jones, forced by his boss to pursue the dubious plan of introducing salmons in Yemen. The plan is encouraged as a PR stunt, to prove that good relations between the UK and the Middle East are not impossible.Therefore, Dr. Jones unwillingly cooperates with Harriet (played by Emily Blunt) and gets to know the Yemenite sheik (Amr Waked) who is willing to invest lots of money to fulfil his dream. Scott Thomas plays the hilariously insufferable Press Secretary to the British Prime Minister. Romance ensues, but with some hindrance along the way.Luckily, no knowledge of fishing is required to follow the story. McGregor and Blunt have chemistry. Scott Thomas and Amr Waked are excellent supporting actors and the movie is simply delightful. A rarity nowadays.

One of the most simple and sweet films comes from director Lasse Hallstrom called 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.' It stars Ewan McGregor as Dr.Alfred Jones, a consultant who is a fisheries expert who works with a woman named Harriet (Harriet) to help a Sheikh in The Middle East bring Salmon Fishing back. The two form a friendship and experience the culture of The Middle East as well as work with foreigners to help solve the problems such as pollution in the Yemen river. Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt give simple performances that aren't worth talking about or are too special. The writing of the story by Simon Beaufoy is pretty good, and has a good story that isn't award worthy but provides a good time for audiences that want a simple story with a pretty interesting plot. Nothing here with wow you, buy you will appreciate the plot involving love, environmentalism ,and teamwork.

A lot of the other reviews have said this film is trite, whimsical, sickly, dull, stupid, fluffy and melodramatic. They are all correct. But none of that stopped me enjoying it greatly. The story is as old as the hills; two very different people have to go and perform a task against their wills; find out they get on, but shock horror things get in the way. There is a reason this story is so old, because it works.Here it is excellently told and totally engaging. The characters are painted with a big brush using bright colours, but they are interesting, unusual and easy to emphasise with.Because you get attached to the characters the film becomes tense in places and although their is little action I found it quite exciting in a subtle way. We laughed out loud, sighed and groaned in all the right places.Some people have been quite harsh about this film saying it brings down British politics or demeans foreign cultures; I think they are watching this film with their serious hat on. Don't expect Apocalypse Now this is a light comedy about fishing in the desert with a bit of romance thrown in.