TL;DR – While you will know the story from the opening moments, it was still a fun ride.

The Great Seduction Review –

I know it is seen as almost a bad form to re-make films in different countries in the modern discourse. However, I am always fascinated to watch adaptations to see how a familiar story gets reinterpreted in a new context. Today, we get an excellent example of this as we visit an island off the coast of Mexico.  

So to set the scene, Santa María is a small town of 120 living on an island, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in heart. But when a neighbouring village opens a fishing factory, the town loses all their jobs, and soon, people fall away. Germán (Memo Villegas) wants to stay in his home, but that is becoming increasingly difficult each month. But if they can get a doctor to live on the island, maybe a new packing plant might follow. It feels like a lost cause until Dr Mateo Suárez (Pierre Louis) gets passed over at the local hospital and drinks just enough to cause a scandal. Well, the town has one month to make him want to stay and seduce him to stay.    

There are two prongs that help this film work. The first is that you can completely sympathise with the town and the plight they are in. This is a Hail Mary, their last chance before things all fall apart. They just want to work to feed their families and live in their homes, and that is a hook you can go with. The second prong is that the village and its people are charming in an odd but compelling way. Germán has the intensity that the town needs, but also, no one takes him so seriously that it feels out of place. You buy all the shenanigans, even the ones that are a complete breach of privacy.   

From the start, you know that eventually, the ruse will fail. Part of what makes the film work is all those close moments when it is about to be revealed, but they pull it together. The NFL helmets are made out of watermelons, the rock music plays, and bribes are collected. But the film makes sure that you know Mateo is a good person, so you do feel bad. The romance subtext is clear but always sort of played for laughs. The whole town is a delight; Ana (Yalitza Aparicio) is the moral heart of the collection of fascinating characters.

In the end, do we recommend The Great Seduction? Yes, we would. Now you will know 100% how this film will go right from the start, but they know that you know. So they make sure humour and eccentricities are on show. If you like The Great Seduction, we would recommend Ever After.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Great Seduction
Directed by – Celso R. García
Screenplay by – Luciana Herrera Caso & Celso R. García
Based on – The Great Seduction by Ken Scott & Michael Dowse
Music by – Billy Martin (illy B)
Cinematography by – Santiago Sanchez
Edited by – Ana García
Production/Distribution Companies – Pimienta Films & Netflix
Starring – Memo Villegas, Pierre Louis, Yalitza Aparicio, Eligio Meléndez, Julio Casado, Héctor Jiménez, Mercedes Hernández, Joaquín Cosío, Paola Pérez Flores & Baltimore Beltrán
Rating – Australia: M;