The Great Seduction (La Gran Seducción) is a Mexican comedy-drama film directed by Celso R. García and co-written by Luciana Herrera Caso. It is a remake of the 2003 French film, La Grande Séduction, which has inspired one more English film of the same name. The film has a runtime of about 1 hour and 35 minutes.
The cast of the film includes Memo Villegas as Germán Herrera, Pierre Louis as Dr Mateo Suarez, Yalitza Aparicio as Anita, Eligio Meléndez, Julio Casado, Héctor Jiménez, Mateo Negrete, Mercedes Hernández as Alba and others.
The Great Seduction Review
Set on the small fishing island of Santa María del Mar, Germán introduces us to the happy little island and his life with the family. Although they weren’t rich, they had enough to live a comfortable life through fishing. However, After industrialization came to Santa María, its heartbroken inhabitants saw their livelihoods come to an end. Living on unemployment cheques from the government, many left for the city to find work and the ones left are trying to survive somehow.
Until they hear that the neighbouring town’s fish-packing plant is setting up shop in town. And the only condition they need is a doctor to move to the island permanently, for it to happen. Island’s big brain, Germán, gets the people moving to “seduce” Mateo, a city doctor sent to the Island as a punishment. On the other hand, for Germán and the other inhabitants, it means a chance to livelihood and even bring their families back to their home.
They set up an elaborate plan to seduce Mateo and nothing is off-limits as he is surprised to find that his beloved football just happens to be the local sport and that his favourite Indian dish just happens to be a Santa María classic! They even bug his telephone to keep a tab on him and use the information to their advantage. Yet the dwindling question remains if their plan will be successful without him knowing about the web of lies they have created.
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The key charm of the film lies in the interactions between the 110 inhabitants of the island, sharing their pain and daily concerns. And when they put their heads together to seduce Mateo is truly hilarious to watch. From listening to his private conversations and being transcribed by two elderly ladies to baiting him with unknown money found on the dock, they leave no stone unturned. The way the whole island comes together to make it feel like a home to the Dr is where the wholesome heartwarming feeling takes over.
Based on the classic comedy film itself, the Mexican remake seems to do much more justice to the plot than the English one. At one point, you start to wonder if the packing plant will even come to the island, even if Mateo decides to stay. But one doesn’t need to worry as things will work out eventually. In its essence, it’s a story about human compassion and the reason why it’s remade again & again.
Despite knowing that Santa Maria doesn’t have much to offer, it’s the connection with the people and their genuineness to make him feel at home, that wins over Mateo. Overall, it’s an entertaining film with a wholesome ending and some hilarious moments that will give you a good laugh after a long day.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Great Seduction is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
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