As a lifelong cinema enthusiast and someone who has spent a considerable amount of time traversing the winding paths of history, I find myself drawn to films that manage to intertwine both the past and present in a captivating manner. “The Penguin Lessons” is one such film that skillfully balances the heartwarming tale of human-animal bonding with the tumultuous backdrop of Argentina’s 1976 military coup d’état.
During Argentina’s 1976 military takeover, which marked a dark era of violence and disappearances, an unlikely heartwarming story of human-animal connection unfolded. This tale is based on the experiences of Tom Michell, an English teacher at a prestigious Buenos Aires school, who found himself in turmoil alongside his colleagues during this period. With the country in chaos, he was left wondering how to care for the Magellan penguin he had unintentionally adopted during a trip to Uruguay on a weekend excursion. His memoir, “The Penguin Lessons,” published in 2016, offers a lighthearted read that appeals to both adult and younger readers captivated by animal tales. The film adaptation by Peter Cattaneo, released in the same year, mirrors the book’s playful penguin charm while attempting to add a touch of political significance. Not surprisingly, it excels when focusing on the bird’s story.
In this new adaptation of Michell’s book, screenwriter Jeff Pope (“Philomena”) has tailored the story to suit his frequent collaborator, Steve Coogan, who plays the protagonist at the age of 58. This change adds a touch of somber history to explain why an older Englishman might find himself wandering in South America. The shift gives the narrative a more poignant tone, yet it remains engaging, catering slightly more to the mature audience. Coogan brings his signature dry wit to the role, while Cattaneo, who was nominated for an Oscar for “The Full Monty” over two decades ago, skillfully blends humorous elements with a subtly emotional undertone.
Even from the start, there’s a noticeable duality in the tone, as the character Coogan plays, Michell, makes his entrance at an exclusive school, dressed in a typical 70s teacher outfit of corduroy jacket, trousers, and suede desert boots, all in shades of brown reminiscent of gravy. Upon arrival, he finds workers covering up “fascist scumbags” graffiti on the wall. In the distance, there’s a faint sound of gunfire and explosions, but Michell is more annoyed about getting paint on his shoe. The headmaster, Buckle (played by Jonathan Pryce), explains that they should avoid politics, emphasizing the small ‘p’. His narrow-minded conservatism is portrayed comically, yet “The Penguin Lessons” doesn’t aim to be overly radical itself.
A lighthearted story unfolds as Michel adjusts to his new environment: finding it tough to get along with the rowdy students in his class, taking on the challenging role of a hapless rugby coach, and developing a prickly friendship with his straightforward, sarcastically-challenged Finnish coworker, Michel (Björn Gustafsson). The political climate is subtly woven into the narrative through the school’s gruff yet compassionate caretaker Maria (Vivian El Jaber) and her granddaughter Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio), who are more deeply impacted by Argentina’s Dirty War than the foreigners in their midst. When a coup takes place, it is depicted as a backdrop, serving as a catalyst for a brief, indulgent trip to Uruguay. In an attempt to impress a temporary lover, Michell makes a daring rescue of a penguin from an oil spill on the beach.
His intention is simply to clean the bird — soon rather grandly named Juan Salvador — and return it to its natural habitat. Juan Salvador, however, refuses to leave his crotchety savior’s side, earning himself a passage back to Argentina in a canvas tote bag. Cue droll hijinks as Michell attempts to hide his unusual new pet from border guards and then from school authorities, though Juan Salvador is simply too adorable to stay hidden for too long. Soon enough, he’s sitting in on classes, somehow instigating a “Dead Poets Society”-style turnaround as Michell, newly invested, veers from the syllabus to include anti-war poetry, and his pupils are suddenly spellbound. Such is the power of the penguin, and to be fair, Juan Salvador is played by such charismatic avian talent that we’re just about willing to believe it.
This is amusing stuff, well served by Coogan’s knack for haughty composure in the face of the absurd. The film is less convincing, however, when it reaches into the realm of the tragic. Sofia’s kidnapping by the military junta is too severe an incident to be relegated to a B-plot behind more feelgood seabird material, while Coogan can’t quite sell his character’s deeper reserves of grief. Michell’s eventual contravention of the school code to intervene in political matters should be more climactic, but given how the film shies from showing the coup’s more violent consequences, the stakes don’t feel as high as they should. If you can keep the out-of-sight devastation duly out of mind, and focus instead on the wonder of Juan Salvador, “The Penguin Lessons” will hold you in its grasp — although, true to the humble charms of its flightless MVP, it never quite aims to soar.
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2024-09-11 11:16