A charming tale with a heartwarming duo at its center
The Penguin Lessons has all the recognizable tropes of an inspirational true-story Disney adaptation of the early 2000s; the film effectively utilizes a serious real-world backdrop but doesn’t deeply explore it, the protagonist (a teacher) recites literary passages that closely (albeit metaphorically) parallel the plot, and there’s a really cute beacon of innocence at the heart of the story – typically an animal or child, and in this case, a penguin. Based on Tom Michell’s memoir, The Penguin Lessons has enough heart and humor to elevate it above its predictive outline, and the chemistry between Steve Coogan and his absolutely adorable penguin costar(s) is worth the watch.
The Penguin Lessons takes place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1976, where Mr. Tom Michell (Steve Coogan), a dejected and self-loathing English teacher, begins work at St. George’s College, a prestigious boarding school attended by kids from wealthy families. Michell is more interested in solitude and escapism than teaching, especially when the student body is composed of spoiled uninterested boys. Before the term begins, the Argentinian government is overthrown in a military coup, and Michell goes on a vacation excursion to Uruguay with his plucky Finnish colleague, Tapio (Björn Gustafsson). In Uruguay, while trying to hook up with a woman he meets at a dance club, Michell saves an oil-covered penguin and reluctantly brings him back to St. George’s College in relative secrecy, where the penguin ultimately grabs the heartfelt attention of students and colleagues, transforming all of their lives.
Coogan is right in his wheelhouse, with a script demanding sharp deadpan humor, self-effacing charm, and a degree of comedic improvisation with his penguin co-star. Coogan’s standoffish banter with Gustafsson, in particular, is highly enjoyable, as are his brief but poignantly sarcastic scenes with the school’s strict Headmaster Buckle, played with wonderful ease by Jonathan Pryce. The most fleshed out supporting characters are Tapio and the two school cleaners, Maria (Vivian El Jaber) and her daughter Sofia (Alfonsia Carrocio), who are the strongest connectors between the playful penguin narrative and the backdrop of national upheaval.
Director Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty; Military Wives) and writer/adapter Jeff Pope (Philomena) do a good job focusing the story on the group of adult characters. The script doesn’t spend much time getting to know the students aside from a few introductory moments, enough to get a feel for the class’ social dynamics. This is a wise choice, considering the fact that these boys are shielded from the harsh reality unfolding across their country. Instead, we’re directed to empathize with the lower class cleaning staff, local business owners and activists, the penguin, and sure, the white British male protagonist, but 4 out of 5 ain’t bad.
The penguin, which Michelle names Juan Salvador, is played by two real penguins, Papa and Richard, as well as an animatronic penguin in a few instances. Papa and Richard are so damn cute, and their playful interactions with the characters are wonderful to watch, but can also be distracting from the serious subject matter that underlies the story. Some viewers may see the “glossing over” of important political events as problematic, but I disagree. The Penguin Lessons doesn’t ignore the inhumanities that took place during the military junta’s revolution and subsequent rule, nor does the film lie about tragic events, but it never intends to explore them deeply, either. The Penguin Lessons is an inspirational story with a very generic positive message: everyone and everything should be treated with respect and love. Even though plenty of horrors happen within and around this lighthearted tale (and the school’s sheltered privilege is noteworthy, and remarked upon in the film), their lack of spotlight shouldn’t take away from the story in focus on screen.
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The Penguin Lessons opens in theaters on Friday, March 28th.
