Seducing Dr Lewis review

Times are tough for the unemployed menfolk of a Quebec fishing village, although their prospects brighten when a plastics company plans to build a factory nearby. There's a snag, however - for insurance purposes there has to be a resident doctor and which big-city quack wants to live in such a backwater? Led by the elderly Germain (Raymond Bouchard), the locals decide that subterfuge is needed...

If you've already seen the likes of Local Hero, this French-Canadian comedy from Jean-François Pouliot will seem predictable, with Dr Lewis (David Boutin) charmed by the generous, old-fashioned values of his hosts. (Phone tapping enables the residents to cater to the medic's tastes - be they cricket, fusion jazz or beef stroganoff.) Lazy stereotyping, laboured comic set-pieces and a cursory romantic interest make for a swiftly forgettable film.