Seducing Dr. Lewis

The latest in a long line of self-consciously whimsical movies about eccentric communities engaging in well-intentioned conspiracy (such as Waking Ned Devine), Seducing Dr. Lewis finds the residents of an economically distressed fishing village in Quebec going to extraordinary lengths to persuade a businessman to build his new factory there. To succeed they not only have to create the illusion of boasting a larger population than they actually have, but must also convince the titular big-city M.D. to move in and provide the mandatory medical services required for the workers. Seducing Dr. Lewis is a slight but cheerful film, benefiting from a likable cast and choice locations, but also suffering from a severe case of the cutes, and running out of narrative gas during the last 20 minutes, when the script opts for too many twists and the sentimentality quotient approaches dangerous levels. But until then, writer Ken Scott is adept at coming up with variations on his theme and director Jean-François Pouliot maintains a sprightly pace, with the end result being a manipulative and somewhat uneven film that feels like an elongated, French-speaking episode of The Andy Griffith Show, but is also an amusing, old-fashioned crowd-pleaser. Recommended. (F. Swietek)