The Penguin Lessons

"I used to be young and idealistic," says Tom, a new teacher in 1976 at a boarding school in Buenos Aires, Argentina, "but I soon came to understand that reality is different." Blunt, hedonistic, and unsentimental, Tom is unmoved by any tales or facts of woe. He makes excuses for his shortcomings and inaction. Nevertheless, when penguins coated in industrial oil wash up on a beach and fascists seize power in a coup, Tom is in for a deep awakening despite himself.

Steve Coogan (Tom) and Jonathan Pryce star in this true story of wit, warmth, counterintuitive discoveries, humor, drama, and cute penguin antics. There is real depth to the dialogue, characters, story arc, and acting. The Penguin Lessons was filmed in Spain with an Argentine cast. Many of the actors lived through the recent dictatorship in Argentina and they add authenticity to the story. At the world premiere screening of the film at the Toronto International Film Festival I was deeply moved in the understanding that merely one person, or penguin, can make a big difference in the world in the face of such evil and tragedy.

Rise like lions after slumber In unvanquishable number Shake your chains to earth like dew Which in sleep had fallen on you Ye are many, they are few.

, - Shelley.

I will do my best to do this without spoilers, as it has not yet (I don't think) been released in the US. I saw this as a "sneak preview", so that is my assumption.

Had this not been a "blind" preview at my local theater (I have a movie subscription, so i see all my movies for "free") i would never have selected this movie for my watch list. But I'm glad i got to see it. (the chatter i heard from fellow viewers was the same - wouldn't have selected it, but glad I came).

The movie is set in 1976 Argentina, coinciding with the military coup that brought down Isabel Peron and began the plight of the "disappeared". While this is important in the events of the story, it is also peripheral.

The film is filled with closed off, broken people who are simply trying to live out their lives. Each of these people is changed by the penguin who unexpectedly comes into their lives. No, the penguin doesn't just fly in like an avian Mary Poppins. But is rescued by one of the characters who, through a series of misfortunes and miscalculations, ultimately adopts him.

The performances are mostly quiet, but not muted, and very good. Jonathan price settles into his role as the stodgy headmaster, not wanting to cause trouble or make waves, with the same intensity as his deceitful author/husband in "The Wife". Coogan is always good, charming in his discomfort with the world he travels through. But the penguin steals every scene he is in.

There are messages of standing for one's belief, the strength of faith, and shows how heartbreak can be uplifting, and tragedy can initiate joy.

No, this is not a movie that I would have gone to see (and i see everything) as the premise seems silly and slight on paper. But this was a worthwhile two hours. And while i left the theater in tears, i also somehow felt better about the world.

My wife loves penguins. Any time there is a movie about penguins, I try to watch it with her. The fact that I ended up loving this particular movie so much was somewhat unexpected. So many things worked well. The balance of comedy and drama. The performances. The story arc. Definitely a "I laughed and I cried" sort of movie. And a quiet film overall. But I laughed harder than I thought I would, many times. Steve Coogan was perfectly cast as a cynical middle aged burned out teacher. The movie is really about him and less the penguin. It effectively does everything it means to do and I would happily see it again soon!

A distraught and antisocial teacher works his way down South America to Argentina. While the country is experiencing civil unrest, he takes an opportunity to go out and have fun. What was supposed to be a getaway ends up with him forced to keep a penguin. Little did he know that this penguin would change not only his life but the lives of everyone around him.

This movie adaptation of a memoir is inspired by actual events. The story is simple: Some friends come into our lives for just a season but leave a lasting impact. The movie has emotion, drama, comedy, and a penguin. Despite having a penguin, there is language and topics unsuitable for children. The one-hour and fifty-minute run time waddles by quickly. It is an entertaining watch for families with older children.

8/10 STARS - The Penguin Lessons was AMC's Screen Unseen movie for March 18 and is based on a book of the same name by Tom Michell. Tom is an English teacher who takes a job at an all-boys boarding school in Argentina just as a military coup is beginning. At the start of the coup, he travels to Uruguay and comes upon a penguin that had been caught in a oil slick and washed ashore. He cleans up the penguin and then tries his hardest to get rid of it, even going so far as to throw it back in the ocean. But all to no avail. The penguin has decided that this human is its family and thus begins the sweet friendship between penguin and man. The backdrop of the story - the coup and resulting dictatorship in Argentina - adds a level of tension, but the heart of this film is about what the main character comes to understand about himself during his time with the penguin and how that journey of self-reflection helps him deal with his pain of past loss and his fear of speaking out on behalf of those in trouble. At the end of the movie, we see a short home video clip of the real penguin during its time there at the boarding school where Tom Michell taught. This is a sweet film with some underpinnings of darker themes, but nothing explicitly violent or sexual is shown. As a comedy drama, there isn't really any "action" to speak of, but that was okay because the story moved along well, the characters were interesting, and that darn penguin deserves an acting award for making me cry! It's a movie I wouldn't have gone to see on my own but I'm glad to have been able to watch it. Recommended. Short video review to come soon.