Late in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, distraught consultant Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) responds to a catastrophe by asking how someone could do such a thing. The same could be asked about the movie itself, which is based on a 2007 novel by Paul Torday. Ewan McGregor stars alongside Blunt as Fred Jones, a UK-government scientist ordered to help Harriet and the wealthy Sheik Muhammad (Amr Waked) attempt the quixotic task of introducing salmon into the highlands of Yemen. Kristin Scott Thomas is also present as a calculating PR director for the British prime minister. The cast give perfunctory performances constrained by a script that trades any hope of a compelling plot for easy jokes, stunted characters, and Yemeni characters that seem designed to piss off the ghost of Edward Said. The movie is really about faith, a point hammered home with help from more salmon swimming upstream metaphors than anyone needs. Those seeking salmon or inspiration are advised to buy some lox instead.
