A wealthy Yemeni sheikh (Amr Waked) has a vision: a barren valley in his homeland filled with flowing streams and leaping Scottish salmon. He has the money to realise his plan, what he needs is expertise.
Enter Dr Fred Jones (Ewan McGregor), a tweedy and prematurely middle-aged fishing expert. Jones thinks the plan is every bit as mad as it sounds, but he is forced to co-operate by the British government. Forming a reluctant partnership with the sheikh’s consultant, Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt), he heads for the Yemen to oversee the delivery of 10,000 North Atlantic salmon. As the unlikely scheme begins to prosper, Fred slowly sheds his fusty demeanour and finds himself falling not only for the Sheikh’s gentle philosophy, but for Harriet herself. But Harriet’s boyfriend is missing in action in Afghanistan, and as the Sheikh’s plan comes under threat from Islamist militants, Fred finds his chance of happiness held hostage by Whitehall’s publicity machine.
Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty, Slumdog Millionaire) scripts this witty and charming adaptation of Paul Torday’s bestselling novel. McGregor and Blunt establish an effortless rapport, while Kristin Scott Thomas turns in a scene-stealing performance as Bridget Maxwell, the PM’s terrifying press officer. - Alistair Daniel, Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
