Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Adapted from the novel by Paul Torday, this captivating film succeeds for some of the same reasons it infuriates. It approaches its storyline with such wide-eyed innocence, creating wonderful moments of pure heart, that it seems -- depending on which side you're on -- either charming or naive. The central romance between Fred and Harriet unfolds sweetly and believably, even if they seem like such disparate characters. The challenges to their pairing are daunting -- an unsatisfying marriage, a missing boyfriend -- but we root for them. Despite its seeming absurdity, like bringing salmon fishing to the Yemeni desert, their romantic enterprise seems rather noble and disarming.

And then there's the movie's political plot; with Kristin Scott Thomas at the helm, it's biting and hilarious. But tonally, it's a mismatch. Add the sheik's mysticism, his talk of faith and a world that could benefit greatly from the wisdom of the fishermen, and what you get is a bit of a jumble. (The movie doesn't much explore the sheik's motivations; the idea that he wants to bring salmon fishing to the Yemen is taken at face value as a positive, never mind the problems locals have with it.) But the film is both warmhearted and lovely to look at, and perhaps that's enough.