- Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
- Resolution: 1080p/24
- Audio Codec: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
- Region: A (B? C?)
- Rating: PG-13
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray + UltraViolet)
- Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Blu-ray Release Date: July 17, 2012
- List Price: $35.99
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Film
[Rating:4.5/5]
The pursuit of news in today’s instant gratification media world apparently knows no boundaries. Thus, the premise for Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, is an improbable “good news” story to distract the British public from the war-torn Middle East. Dr. Alfred Jones, the British Government’s expert ichthyologist (Ewan MacGregor) gets recruited by his supervisor, Bernard Sugden (Conleth Hill) for an usual assignment: to assist a wealthy Yemeni sheik, Muhamed ben Zaide (Amr Waked), himself an avid fisherman, who wants to create a watery environment in the desert, stocked with Scottish Salmon. Along the way, Dr. Jones becomes involved with the sheik’s personal consultant Harriett Chedwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) who, in turn, has a relationship with a British Army officer (Tom Mison), conveniently missing in action for most of the picture . Kristen Scott-Thomas plays Patricia Maxwell, the Prime Minister’s public relations aide as the Lucretia MacEvil character who twists the PM around her little finger. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen chronicles Dr. Jones’s incredible against-all-odds efforts to achieve the sheik’s well-intentioned, not to mention hideously expensive, experiment in fly fishing for salmon in a desert. There are numerous plot elements that I must keep under wraps since revealing the inner secrets of this film would ultimately detract from its considerable power and pathos.
This well crafted, ultimately touching, comedy-drama, based on Paul Torday’s novel, is cooked to near perfection by its outstanding director, Lasse Hallstrom (My Life as a Dog, The Cider House Rules, Chocolat). There is a synergy among the cast that transcends conventional acting and creates real characters.
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Being a quite recent film (2012 vintage) I was surprised by the rather soft-around-the-edges quality of the print and the occasional but noticeable intrusion of grain. This was possibly due to a combination of the the use of the rather low-speed Kodak Vision2 50D 5201 as one of the primary film stocks and the Hawke Scope anamorphic lenses. The color palette, generally accurate, endows some of the indoor scenes with a surprising yellowish cast. There are some smart touches to the videography including the salmon-like movement of the pedestrians as shot overhead. Hallstrom’s use of a varied palette of lavish indoors and simply stunning outdoors scenes makes this a film that is a sheer delight to watch.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Like many contemporary UK films, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a dialogue-driven work. Fortunately, with a script as good as this one is, you definitely want to hear every word and you do. There is also a delightful and engaging original soundtrack by Dario Marinelli that captures the essence of the action and settings, from Scottish highlands to Yemeni desert. A modest amount of ambience is conveyed by the surround channels, with dialogue keeping most of the action up front.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]
Two featurettes both informative and well done are included here:
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- Miracles Happen: Making Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
- The Fisherman in the Middle East: Novelist Paul Torday
Getting this additional background support how good a job director Hallstrom, and the cast and crew have done in communicating this essential parable of human existence, hopes and aspirations, and cultural differences in today’s varied and complex international world.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4.5/5]
Reviewers are all too often left with the impression that many new films were simply thrown together with little thought given to storyline, character development, or dramatic pace. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a clear exception to this situation. Subplots abound, nearly all decently wrapped up by picture’s end, but the thread that keeps everything on track is the faith that the salmon fishing project can actually happen. The film’s inner spirit is perfectly captured by the grandiloquent words of the Sheik, “I intended to create a small miracle, something that glorifies God. Sometimes, I wonder if we have created something that glorifies man.” In our uncertain times, we surely need small masterpieces like this one to reassure us that there is still magic left in the art of making movies. In spite of some reservations about video quality, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a definite must-see for all of us, regardless of belief, and regardless of any prior interest in fishing.
Additional Screen Captures
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Purchase Salmon Fishing in the Yemen on Blu-ray at CD Universe
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[amazon-product]B0067EKY9K[/amazon-product]
Purchase Salmon Fishing in the Yemen on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]
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