The following is a spoiler review of the film The Grand Seduction. If you have not seen the film and are planning on it, I suggest that you turn back now, as later it will be too late. If you don't really care if you're spoiled, then please, by all means continue...
**********SPOILER ALERT!!!!!**********
Being a proud Canadian, it is with a heavy heart that I claim that our history of cinema is very hit or miss. There are some really great Canadian movies out there, like Men With Brooms, Eastern Promises and The Sweet Hereafter. But, there have also been some real stinkers, (I once saw an atrocious production of Beowulf) and let's face it, we're not really known for our outstanding cinematic achievements. Sure, there are a lot of top notch directors out there that hail from Canada, like Ivan Reitman and James Cameron, but the films that they make are usually big Hollywood studio productions.
But, every once in a while, something special comes along. The Grand Seduction is one such film. Set in the small harbour of Tickle Cove, Newfoundland, we find out that it is dying, it's 115 or so residents forced to collect welfare after the fishing dries up. They are attempting to lure a large petro-chemical company to build a factory in their area, but need a doctor in residence, before their bid will even be considered. Enter Dr. Paul Lewis, played by Canadian actor, Taylor Kitsch. Blackmailed into spending one month in the harbour, the residents then proceed to "seduce" the doctor into staying, using everything from cricket (the doctors favourite sport), to guilt (they spread a rumour that the only person who could patch them up was the old butcher and faked huge, nasty scars as proof of his incompetence), to finding money where you least expect it (there's a running gag about that that continues throughout the film).
Although the plot is quite predictable, the story and residents of Tickle Harbour are extremely charming and likeable, and completely draw you in. I am a big fan of Taylor Kitsch, and think that he's a really good actor who has just, for one reason or another, chosen the wrong projects or been involved with projects that have been handled poorly by the studio (I'm looking at you John Carter!). He is well cast here, and he appears to be having a ball in this small, Canadian indie. The jokes are humorous and plentiful and I found myself laughing out loud on a number of occasions. There is the predictable love interest, as well as the extremely common, "the truth comes out" confrontation at the end, and of course, everything was wrapped up in a neat little bow by the time the end credits began to roll, but I found that I didn't mind these predictable tropes, as the overall charm of the movie was more than enough to satisfy.
While I wouldn't call this the greatest movie that I have seen this year, I would definitely recommend it. It's a heartwarming and charming tale that embraces you like a warm hug. If you are in Canada, I would definitely recommend that you check it out. If you aren't, well, I'm sure that eventually it will either roll around to on-demand or, eventually, Netflix. Just keep your eyes open for it. It's a lovely little piece of Canadiana that I'm sure you'll enjoy.
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