Movie review: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen **

Stars: Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt.

Director: Lasse Hallstrom.

Rated: PG-13

Showing: Neptune Cinema week of Friday, April 20.

Tickets: Buy tickets online

Runtime: 107 minutes

Comedy/drama/romance

With a talented cast and a quirky, yet somewhat interesting premise, the new film Salmon Fishing in the Yemen certainly has all the ingredients to be a nice little film.

But the promise is overshadowed by conflicting tones under the direction of Lasse Hallstrom. The man behind the criminally underrated Once Around continues his string of gooey, soft fluff with no real emotional core. Hallstrom goes for the heartstrings in "Yemen" and it proves to be the film's fatal flaw.

The film stars Ewan McGregor as Alfred Jones, a fisheries expert working for the British government. Jones is approached by Harriet (Emily Blunt) on behalf of a visionary sheik (Amr Waked) about the idea of bringing the sport of fly-fishing to the Yemen desert.

At first, Jones balks at the idea, but he is eventually forced into the project when the prime minister's press secretary (Kristin Scott Thomas) discovers the project — and determines it is the perfect way to garner good press for her employer.

It's all window dressing for the film's ultimate goal — a crowd-pleasing romantic piece designed to get Jones and Harriet together. Of course, this is the type of story where there are obstacles: Both are in relationships when the film begins, but the audience can clearly see they are meant to be together.

Blunt, who is so bloody charming in everything she does, and McGregor do have nice chemistry, but the romantic arc is so predictable. It's also the center of a film that has some really weird shifts. One moment it is a political satire, with Thomas delivering some really funny moments that reminded me of the film "In the Loop." The next moment "Salmon Fishing" is trying to slightly engage in the cultural differences between the characters, including a subplot involving Muslim extremists' attempts to stop the project.

It all bogs down what could have been a fun little movie. It's a sappy little excursion that, like some of Hallstrom's recent work such as "Dear John," "Chocolat" and "The Cider House Rules," left me cold.

Next attraction: The Pirates! Band of Misfits