A fisheries expert is approached by a consultant to help realize a sheik's vision of bringing the sport of fly-fishing to the desert and embarks on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible possible.
Acting
McGregor's twitchy scientist vs Blunt's quiet grief
Cinematography
Scotland's wet misery vs Yemen's impossible gold
Writing
Simon Beaufoy makes fishing metaphors actually land
Director
Lasse Hallström
Ewan McGregor
Dr. Alfred Jones
Emily Blunt
Harriet Chetwode-Talbot
Kristin Scott Thomas
Patricia Maxwell
Rachael Stirling
Mary Jones
Amr Waked
Sheikh Muhammad
Catherine Steadman
Ashley
Tom Mison
Capt. Robert Mayers
Tom Beard
Peter Maxwell
Jill Baker
Betty
Conleth Hill
Bernard Sugden
Peter Wight
Tory Grandee - Angus Butler
Hugh Simon
Foreign Secretary Brian Fleet
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on a real UK government fisheries project that was somehow less absurd than the film.
The sheikh's philosophy quietly critiques Western cynicism—rare for 2012 cinema.
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