The Grand Seduction – Review by Frances Winston

Directed by: Don McKellar

Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Taylor Kitsch, Liane Balaban, Gordon Pinsent, Mark Critch, Mary Walsh, Cathy Jones, Matt Watts

In cinemas August 29th

Based on an award winning 2003 French-Canadian film, La Grande Séduction the title makes this sound like a fluffy rom com but the it actually refers to a tiny fishing community’s effort to convince a doctor to stay in their harbour so they can secure a lucrative factory development in the area.

Gleeson plays Murray French a native of Tickle Head, Newfoundland. The area has seen better days since restrictions on cod fishing were imposed. With almost every member of the community unemployed and frustrated they hope to secure the tender for a petrochemical factory, which would give them all work and restore the harbours’ fortunes. However, the company require that they have a doctor in the locality which poses a problem. That is until cocky, plastic surgeon Dr Christopher Lewis (Kitsch) is discovered with cocaine on a flight home from a cricket tournament.

The airport security guy just happens to be the former mayor of Tickle Head and rather than prosecute him he agrees to let it slide if he spends a month working as the harbour’s doctor. Realising that this is their chance to secure the factory the locals, encouraged by Murray, go out of their way to convince the newcomer that the harbour is somewhere he should settle. They pretend to share his love of cricket and tap his phones in order to tailor the area completely to his tastes. Unfortunately the tastes of a high flying surgeon aren’t exactly the same as their own and keeping up the pretence becomes harder and harder as the deadline looms for the tenders approval.

Gleeson is a truly commanding screen presence and was an excellent choice for Murray – a big bear of a man who struggles with the humiliation of unemployment and the effect on his relationship. Very few actors could have brought such depth to this character. Kitsch displays far greater range here than he has in any of his previous offerings and while at times he radiates smugness his scenes with Gleeson are wonderful and the pair clearly got on incredibly well. The script is simple but funny and although you can see many of the gags coming it doesn’t make them any less humorous. It never gets in your face with the jokes and overall this film has a lot of heart and warmth. You do find yourself rooting for Murray and his townsfolk despite the fact that they are being so deceitful to Lewis.

Of course there are some issues. Although the harbour is populated by a wealth of characters not many of them are fully developed and this does affect your engagement with the story. There are also several unexplained plot points which we are just supposed to accept. Most jarring however are the casts’ accents, which go a bit awry throughout. Since they are all supposed to be from the same tiny area they therefore should have the same one but there is very little consistency. Even Gleeson’s accent drops from time to time.

These quibbles aside this is a lovely movie with some stunning scenery, a witty script and premise that doesn’t overcomplicate itself. There are enough laughs to keep even the most cynical viewer sated and ultimately it leaves you feeling uplifted.