This film is a sentimental, feel-good romantic comedy. Two mismatched characters, straight-laced fisheries expert Dr Fred Jones (played by Ewan McGregor ) and glamorous consultant Harriet (played by Emily Blunt) oversea a hair-brained project to introduce salmon fishing in Yemen. Initial professional sparing between the two gradually turns to romance. Although the film had charm, it was just too weak for me, causing the occasional smile but no laughs. The one exception is the British government spin-doctor (played by Kristin Scott Thomas), a clean version of Malcolm Tucker in the TV series The Thick Of It. She added a bit of spice and did make me laugh and her performance raised the film from two to three star standard.
The film is based on the book which is more of a political satire, which I think would work better. I haven’t read the book, so I’ll add it to my to-read list.
Michael Drysdale 