La Grande Séduction (Jean-François Pouliot, 2003)

The tiny Quebecois fishing village of Ste. Marie-La-Mauderne hits upon the idea of attracting a factory to provide much-needed employment for its welfare-dependent population. There's just one catch: for that, they need a doctor in residence, something they have singularly failed to achieve to date. Then they do find a candidate, but have their work cut out in conniving to reel the city slicker in.
Seducing Doctor Lewis rather fancies itself as an old-fashioned comedy of foibles, with Monsieur Hulot overtones, if the soundtrack is anything to go by. The humour is accordingly more often broad than subtle. The collection of gently observed quirky hicks is straight off the shelf too, and the set-up pretty much directly a transposition-as-farce of Local Hero. Nevertheless, it's cute enough to endear by virtue of zest alone, and raises a frequent warm chuckle.

6/10