The Great Seduction Review: The Mexican comedy (La gran seducción) has been directed by Celso R. García and written by written by Luciana Herrera Caso. It stars Memo Villegas, Pierre Louis, Yalitza Aparicio, and Mercedes Hernández in lead roles. The supporting cast of the film includes Julio Casado, Héctor Jiménez, Eligio Meléndez, Arath Aquino and more.
The movie has a runtime of one hour and thirty-five minutes. The Spanish-language film is streaming on Netflix with English subtitles. Set in the small fishing town of Santa María, the film revolves around a group of villagers who try to convince a doctor to settle in their town under false pretences.
The Great Seduction Review
Among all the genres of filmmaking, if there is one that truly manages to strike a chord with the audience is a slice-of-life film. The idea of seeing characters that portray the best and worst aspects of us in an authentic manner through stories that resonate with us makes it a worthwhile affair. In terms of Celso R. García’s latest film, this all rings true as the movie appeals right off the bat thanks to its simplistic storyline and relatable characters.
The film is a remake of Don McKellar’s 2013, French-Canadian movie, The Grand Seduction and this time, the story finds itself set in a little Mexican town of Santa María instead of Newfoundland. Told through the eyes of Germán (Memo Villegas), the story revolves around a small fishing town with a population of not more than 120 people. After a neighbouring town ends up getting a plant of fishing packers company, the residents of Santa María are left jobless and dependent on unemployment wages. The town’s unemployment status results in several families migrating out, including Germán’s brother Pablo.
With survival becoming difficult and dependent on the unemployment wages, Germán’s wife Maria also begins to plan to move out of the village and take up a job elsewhere. The only solution to save the town from being completely erased and evacuated is to appoint a permanent doctor who could help them receive an offer from the fishing company to set up a new plant.
To help bring a permanent doctor into town, Germán, along with other townspeople, including Anita (Yalitza Aparicio), Simon (Eligio Meléndez) and Benjamin (Julio Casado), comes up with a plan. The doctor who gets tricked into coming to the small town is Matteo (Pierre Louis), who is forced to take up the opportunity amid the threat of losing his license.
The strength of this story lies in the performances, given how each character has a specific thing to offer to the story. While Germán’s trickster nature starts off as amusing and later becomes harmfully selfish, it’s clear that his intention is never to hurt anyone but simply comes from a place of love for a town where he has spent his whole life and isn’t ready to watch it fade away in front of his eyes.
Both Simon and Benjamin are the key wheels of Germán’s operation. They believe in his cause and are ready to take all the risks to save their town. One of the most interesting characters in the tale is Anita, who is calm amidst the chaos. She is the only level-headed one who understands the consequences of Germán’s actions.
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The movie presents both sides of the story extremely well, be it Matteo’s resistance at the beginning to embrace the simple life or Germán and the town people’s unethical invasion of the doctor’s privacy for their own gain. While there are several ways the film can be perceived, the filmmaker keeps the tone of the movie light-hearted and guided by emotions as opposed to finding rationality. The whole debate of means justifying the ends doesn’t cross your mind, given the treatment of the story.
There are several moments that bring laughs, and particularly it stems from the adorably ignorant or the reflection of honesty even in the lies that are being spun by the villagers. Moments such as Matteo’s fishing sequence or the decor of the house that the villagers put up the doctor at are moments that leave you grinning. The soundtrack of the film is also impressive, as several Mexican gems are included at crucial points in the story.
In terms of the performances, there is not one actor who disappoints. Of course, Memo Villegas outshines with his take on Germán. Also, Yalitza Aparicio impresses in every scene she is in. She gives Anita the quality to shine even in silence. Eligio Meléndez and Julio Casado also deliver heartfelt performances. Héctor Jiménez’s Jorge brings laughs in most scenes, and his effortlessly charming performance is worth a mention. The coastal landscapes are also captured beautifully in Santiago Sanchez’s cinematography.
The Great Seduction Review Final Thoughts
The movie works as an entertaining watch if you don’t let your brain get in the way. There are several ways to look at this story and while many would find Germán’s deceitful ways to save his town unethical, the story does not wish to focus on these aspects but rather runs ahead with the heart at its centre. The Great Seduction promises engaging performances and makes for a good watch if you seek a breezy watch with a short runtime.
The Great Seduction is currently streaming on Netflix.
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