Yalitza Aparicio Martínez, the breakout star of the critically acclaimed film Roma, is back, and this time, she’s bringing her talent to the world of comedy in the Netflix film, The Great Seduction (Spanish: La gran seducción).
Directed by Celso R. García and co-written with Luciana Herrera Caso, this Mexican comedy has been making waves since its release. It has been stationed in the global top ten charts, non-English category, for two weeks now. This week alone, it has 5.8 million hours viewed.
The Great Seduction is a Spanish-language remake of the 2003 film Seducing Doctor Lewis, and it features Memo Villegas, Pierre Louis, and, of course, Aparicio.
In 2013, an English-language adaptation of the film titled The Grand Seduction hit the screens. This version featured Taylor Kitsch in the role of Dr. Lewis, while Brendan Gleeson, Mary Walsh, Cathy Jones, and Gordon Pinsent played the parts of the townspeople. A French remake by the name of Un village presque parfait‘ (English: An almost perfect village) emerged in 2015. Produced by Stéphane Meunier, this rendition unfolded in a quaint fictional Pyrenean village known as Saint-Loin-la-Mauderne.
In The Great Seduction, the story unfolds in the picturesque fishing village of Santa María del Mar, where the winds of industrialisation threaten to extinguish the flames of the local economy. However, a glimmer of hope arrives in the form of a fish packing company that is willing to set up shop in the town. There’s just one catch—they require a resident doctor.
The film follows the journey of Germán, played by Memo Villegas, and the resourceful villagers as they embark on a mission to “seduce” the city doctor, Mateo, portrayed by Pierre Louis. Their tactics involve a web of lies, misdirection, and a touch of charm, all in a bid to lure the doctor to their island.
Yalitza Aparicio Martínez’s journey from a preschool teacher to an Oscar-nominated actor and being named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world has been nothing short of extraordinary.
The 2018 Alfonso Cuarón film, Roma, inspired Billie Eilish to write one of her most beloved songs. Set in 1970s Mexico City. It chronicles the life of Cleo (played by Aparicio), a domestic worker for a middle-class family, against the backdrop of social and political turmoil. The film explores themes of love, class, and personal transformation.
The Great Seduction had its initial limited theatrical release on August 23rd, 2023, followed by its global debut on Netflix on August 30th, 2023.
