La grande séduction à l'anglaise

A small harbour community in the Canadian province of Newfoundland once had an active fishing economy but now most residents are on welfare. There is a possibility of opening a factory in the region but one of the conditions is that the community must have a resident physician. When a city doctor must spend a month in the community, the residents do all they can to "seduce" the doctor into staying even if that means lying through their teeth.

This film is a remake from a Quebec French-language comedy, "Seducing Dr. Lewis" in 2003. Having seen the first film, the surprise element was missing for me for some parts of the story but this current version is as warm and charming as the original. The story is very far-fetched especially the ending but within its own content, it strangely comes off as believable.

There was a missed opportunity for more exposure of one character: an attractive, lone-wolf postmistress who is better off than those around her due to her government salary and benefits. In one scene, her position of relative privilege causes her to be unintentionally indifferent to the plight of those around her. Had this element been expanded, it would have been very relevant in our current times. Instead, the character, whose appearances are rare, was used by other residents as a "pretty girly-girl" to be one of the ways to seduce the doctor.

Despite this misgiving, this film, like the original version, has many enjoyable moments. The characters are quirky but likeable and there is never an attitude of condescension toward them. It's also pleasant but rare to see stories of rural people doing their best to live well within their means. And the landscapes of coastal Newfoundland are truly breathtaking. - dbamateurcritic.

This is a gentle movie, filled with gentle humour that brought smiles of delight to every one of our group of six. The scenes of the Newfoundland coast were breath taking. A great little story about a community struggling for survival. Another reviewer was dismayed by all of the citizens lining up for their welfare cheques. An exaggeration yes, because it is a film, but the key message he missed was how noble and honest, despite their desperate scam, the people of Newfoundland are. When I took my family for a vacation in Newfoundland we were mightily impressed by the scenic beauty but even more impressed by its people and their genuine interest in others. It made us proud to be Canadian and this film makes me proud of the Canadian film industry.

This film is brilliant. If you're tired of the same old fare that the American Comedy giants make then see a movie that doesn't resort to shock value or follow the one-up trend. See a movie with heart and substance that has a point and makes you feel good about the world. In "The Grand Seduction", The jokes range from brilliantly subtle to absurdly silly and are designed to poke fun at everyday life in a small coastal town.

It really is a shame that this film wasn't given more of a chance in theatres, and it's shocking that people can find something bad to say about it. I, however found this film refreshing and I hope more Canadian style comedies are made, even if they need to be stolen from the French Canadians!

'THE GRAND SEDUCTION': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Comedy flick about a small harbor community, in Newfoundland, who try to seduce a plastic surgeon, from a major Canadian city, into being their doctor. It's an English-speaking remake of the 2003 French-Canadian film 'LA GRANDE SEDUCTION' (which was set on the coast of Quebec). It was written by Michael Dowse and Ken Scott (the original movie's writer) and directed by Don McKellar. The film stars Brendan Gleeson and Taylor Kitsch (of 'JOHN CARTER', 'LONE SURVIVOR' and 'FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS' fame). I found the movie to be pretty silly at times but still funny and ultimately uplifting.

The story begins with Murray French (Gleeson) telling (through voice-over narration) how Tickle Head used to be a town of proud fishermen. Now nearly everyone is unemployed and collects welfare. Murray, like the other men of the town, desperately wants Tickle Head to secure a deal which would allow a chemical plant to be built there; this factory would create enough jobs for everyone. In order to do so they must have a community doctor. When Dr. Christopher Lewis (Kitsch) is stopped at the St. John's airport, with cocaine, the former mayor of Tickle Head (who is now a flight security agent) makes him a deal; Dr. Lewis must spend a month in Tickle Head as their doctor. It's up to Murray, and the whole town, to convince him to stay longer; which requires a lot of lying and seduction.

The movie isn't original at all; it reminds me of many other films, about small towns and trickery (most notably 'WAKING NED DEVINE'). A lot of the humor in it is pretty cheesy and some of the characters seem exaggerated. Still the movie does have a lot of character, and charm, and parts of it are pretty funny. The performances are great and, in the end, I really did care about the characters; the sentimentality of the film is what doesn't feel cheesy (unlike a lot of the jokes). That's why I liked it.

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"We have one month to convince our good doctor to sign long term." The town of Tickle Cove is starting to collapse economically. The residents are living on welfare checks and watching everyone they love move into the big city. When they have a chance to secure a contract for a factory for the town they need to do whatever they can. The first thing they need is a doctor. Dr. Lewis (Kitsch) comes to the harbor for a month and local local mayor Murray French (Gleeson) enlists the help of the town to do anything that will make him stay. I have liked pretty much anything that Brendan Gleeson has done. This one is no exception. One of the biggest pet peeves I have about movies is when they're too predictable. Almost from the beginning you are able to tell what will happen and how the movie will end. This is one of the few exceptions where that doesn't hurt the enjoyment of the movie. The writing and comedy is what keeps you watching and laughing the whole way through. It's very entertaining watching the lengths the towns people go to to impress the doctor. The stuff with cricket is my favorite. This is a movie that may not be for everyone but I liked it and I recommend it. Overall, a movie that is very predictable but for once that doesn't hurt the movie. I recommend this but again it's not really for everyone. I give it a B+.