Film Fetish Friday: Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, Play, This Must Be The Place

May 4, 2012 | by Anouk | Art, Event

About the author

As a freelance journalist, Anouk (26) usually writes about what other people do or like. In her precious spare time she watches arthouse films. Not a few. A lot, thanks to her trusted Cineville pass. Here she can finally share her film-fetish with the world.

To watch or not to watch? I will tour around Amsterdam’s cinemas and answer this crucial question every Friday. Without mercy, of course. Sucky movies will be slaughtered, cinematographic pearls will be appreciated as such. Or the other way around. After all, good taste is in the eye of the beholder.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

You know what would be nice? A positive story from the Middle East. That’s what an enthusiastic PR-lady (Kristin Scott Thomas) thinks when she pushes the ‘salmon fishing plan’ into action. It’s up to Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) to make it work. He has to build a big basin in the desert of Yemen and import hundreds of salmon to live there. All because a rich sheik is looking for a new hobby. In the meantime Jones falls in love with the sheik’s assistant, played by Emily Blunt. Weird story? Very. Entertaining? It’s all right as long as you don’t expect to be intellectually challenged.

Watch this film in Cineville’s The Movies. Also in Pathe (Arena, City and Tuschinki).

Play

This film is a good test to see if you’re politically correct. Or racist. Swedish film maker Ruben Östlund plays with stereo types and prejudices. A group of young black kids steel from and bully other (more white) kids from the neighbourhood. The art house public at film festivals was very displeased. Why show a negative image of immigrant children? Well, Östlund based his film on true events in Sweden where between 2006 and 2008 a group of black kids stole from and intimidated over 40 peers. The film maker isn’t afraid to play a game with our morals, racism and peer pressure. I haven’t seen it yet, but I will as soon as I can.

Watch this film in Cineville’s Kriterion and EYE.

This Must Be The Place

I never thought I would say it, but Sean Penn is awesome. In This Must Be The Place (a famous song by The Talking Heads – lead singer David Byrne is also in the film) Penn plays an old rock legend, who now lives a quiet life in the Irish country side. He’s some sort of mix between Ozzy Osbourne (drugs) and Edward Scissorhands (awkwardness). This Cheyenne has to travel to the US, because his American/jewish father is dying. Cheyenne hasn’t seen him for 30 years, so he never knew his father was hunting for his former foe in Auswitz. Cheyenne decides to go look for the old Nazi. From that point on the film turns into a road movie. Funny, touching, smart. Let’s hope Penn and director Paolo Sorrentino (Il Divo) work together again some time soon.

Watch this film in Cineville’s The Movies. Also in Pathe (City and Tuschinski).