Seducing Dr Lewis

Synopsis: Ste.-Marie la Mauderne is a small fishermen's village on an island off Quebec. Some decades ago, life was hard but its people were proudly independent. Today, the village is still small but the villagers queue every month to cash in their social security allowance. Their only hope is the promise of a factory to be built on the island but this requires a doctor in residence, and they'll do everything needed to get one...

Seducing Dr Lewis is a little gem of a comedy with all the qualities required to make it successful. Jean-François Pouliot, in his first full-length feature, directs adeptly if not overly imaginatively, but his film is brought to life by a wonderful cast.

There are many things that charm. Ste.-Marie la Mauderne is a tiny village, where you won't find any cars and the only access to which is by sea. The place is truly beautiful in its remoteness. Its inhabitants may be simple and in their own way cunning but they are real, the performances giving the film an almost documentary-like feel. Raymond Bouchard (Germain Lesage) is a well-known actor in Quebec, and gives an admirable performance as a man who will take on the challenge of resurrecting his village's pride. Yvon (Pierre Collin) is an old fisherman, almost maddened by the destruction of its way of life, Henri (Benoit Briere) has been working in town in the past, and is now the village's banker and frightened of being replaced by an ATM. Then there is the beautiful Eve (Lucie Laurier) a key element of attraction for the Doctor Lewis (David Boutin) who, following some complex events, will find himself leaving the city and practicing in the village. Ken Scott's screenplay reworks the fantasy of the forgotten working class regaining its dignity through its own ingenuity although the comedy takes over a bit too soon, and the script conveniently forgets that in reality these kinds of villages are being killed off on a daily basis.

The strength of the film lies in its near-perfect acting and its convincing dialogue. Whilst the premises of the story are quite unrealistic, the well-written dialogue makes the overall effect credible. The film rarely looses its pace, there are some very funny sequences (the beginning and ending work well and are not to be missed), the sentiments are warm, sweet, albeit unchallenging, and if the method is decidedly manipulative, one cannot help but surrender to the film's charms. For an English-speaking audience, comparison to Ealing comedies are not misplaced and this film would stand comfortably against The Full Monty and Bill Forsyth's Local Hero.

Seducing Dr Lewis has made a strong showing at a number of film festivals, including Sundance, Cannes and Toronto and managed to outgross Hollywood's biggest blockbusters of 2003 in its native Quebec. It is a crowd pleaser, well made and well acted. If you want an entertaining time at the movies, don't miss it.

 

 

Want more about this film?

    

Want something different?