The Penguin Lessons

There’s an old expression in show business that advises entertainers not to work with children or animals because they’ll upstage them every time. But, while that’s often true, it’s not always the case, as seen in the latest feature offering from director Peter Cattaneo. This charming comedy-drama tells the fact-based story of English teacher Tom Michell (Steve Coogan), who somewhat begrudgingly takes an instructor’s job at St. George’s College, a prestigious boarding school in Buenos Aires, just before the 1976 Argentine revolution. The cynical, curmudgeonly teacher has moved around a lot, and he’s not particularly thrilled at this latest stop, as becomes apparent in his classroom demeanor and overarching attitude. Not long after his arrival, when a military coup d’etat hits that overthrows the government, he decides to get out of town until the dust settles. He embarks on an impromptu vacation to a Uruguayan resort town, where he meets a beautiful, flirtatious woman, Carina (Mica Breque), in a nightclub. That encounter subsequently leads to a late night walk along the beach, but, while on this stroll, they find a penguin that’s barely alive and covered in oil, a victim of a recent spill. To impress his would-be one-nighter, Tom and Carina take the bird back to his hotel to clean it up. What Tom doesn’t realize, however, is that the penguin, who would subsequently come to be named Juan Salvador, has made its unwitting rescuer its friend for life, despite his repeated efforts to return it to the wild. It’s a prospect the professor doesn’t especially relish, but, upon returning to Argentina with penguin in tow, man and bird become the unlikeliest of friends, under prevailing conditions both at the school and in the country at large that prove threatening (but unexpectedly beneficial) to both. At first glance, one might think this sounds like a cutesy, schmaltzy, manipulative tale a la Disney, but far from it. The picture tells a sincerely engaging story of personal growth and the emergence of personal courage, brought about by the influence of an improbable feathered mentor in a tense social and political environment that has both Tom and virtually the entire Argentine population on edge. It’s also a tale the defies the timeless cautionary adage about casting decisions involving both man and beast, with Juan Salvador being just as much a member of the ensemble as his human counterparts. Admittedly, the film has a little trouble finding its footing in the opening act, but, once it does, it’s a delightful and touching release that’s moving without being drenched in saccharin. “The Penguin Lessons” is also one of those movies that needs to be seen to be believed, as the trailer truly doesn’t do it justice. Indeed, this is one of those heartfelt, uplifting stories that the world needs more of at a time when we could all use a little inspiration to help see us through the tough times.

'The Penguin Lessons' is hearty viewing. Steve Coogan plus penguin is a recipe for success so the films delivers in that respect, I think any movie with a cute little flipper is going to be impossible to dislike. Everything with the penguin is sweet, much with Coogan is funny. It's a really interesting plot, one that is based upon a rather incredible true event. The backdrop of 1970s Argentina adds a fresh edge to it all, so it's not simply a flick that relies on its cute animal. As serious as the flick gets (still reeling from that gut punch tbh), it is amusing stuff too. Coogan is a smart choice of lead, although I could also weirdly visualise Rowan Atkinson and someone else I've since forgotten (ffs) in the role too. Obviously I know who Coogan is and do like him, but aside from 'Night at the Museum' I always forget about him - not here. Vivian El Jaber brings a praiseworthy performance as well, likewise Alfonsina Carrocio. Jonathan Pryce is terrific casting as the headmaster, that first scene with him is great. Björn Gustafsson, albeit more minimally, is solid too. The kid actors are OK, for what it's worth.

“Tom” (Steve Coogan) is an English teacher who has worked his way around South America becoming a little more cyclical than your average bear when he arrives at a posh school outside Buenos Aires that teaches the sons of the great and the good. It’s run by the ostensibly rather foppish “Timbuck” (Sir Jonathan Pryce) and after his first day he has little enthusiasm for his post. Then, in quick succession, he meets his Finnish colleague “Tapio” (Björn Gustafsson) and there is a timely coup so the school is closed and the pair decide to head off to Uruguay for some fun. “Tom” gets more than he bargained for, though, when a romantic walk along the beach introduces him to an oil slick and to a penguin that’s covered in the stuff. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished and next thing he has a pet that is determined never to be parted from him. Back at school, replete with his new sprat-eating friend, he has to keep his secret whilst dealing with the boys who epitomise the political differences of their fathers and with the growing sense of popular libertarianism that causes considerable grief for his heart-of-gold housekeeper (Vivian El Jaber) whose freethinking grand-daughter has been apprehended by the secret police. It’s based on a true story and though I’m not a great fan of Coogan’s underwhelming style of acting, he does manage to work together quite engagingly with his loyal “Juan Salvador” to provide us with a mix of the lightly sentimental and the equally lightly menacing all peppered with some sarcastic one liners and quite an entertainingly static effort from Gustafsson. Sir Jonathan doesn’t really feature enough make much impact but in the end, the star is the Magellan penguin that serves as a cheeky yet potent conduit bringing together boys, bullies, adults and teachers together in an amiable fashion.