PENGUIN LESSONS

(director/writer: Peter Cattaneo; screenwriters: Jeff Pope, based on the book by Tom Mitchell; cinematographer: Xavi Gimenez; editor: Robin Peters; music: Federico Jusid; cast: Steve Coogan (Tom Mitchell), David Herrero (Diego), Jonathan Pryce (Headmaster Buckle), Alfonsina Carrocio (Sofia), Vivian El Jabar (Maria), Bjorn Gustafsson (teacher); Runtime: 110; MPAA Rating: PG-13; producers: Andrew Noble, Rory Aitken, Ben Pugh, Robert Walak, Adrian Guerra; Sony Picture Classics; 2024-UK/USA/Spain/Ireland-in English, Spanish)

“A misguided historical period drama.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A misguided historical period drama directed by Brit filmmaker Peter Cattaneo (“The Full Monty”/”The Rocker”), that’s based on a true story and is breezily written by Jeff Pope. It’s taken from Tom Mitchell’s memoir.
 
There’s a military coup in 1976 in Argentina, as thousands are killed as Isabel Peron is ousted.
In a rich man’s boarding school in Buenos Aires, the cynical Brit Tom Mitchell (Steve Coogan) teaches English to the country’s elite teenage boys. When the school gets closed for a week, the stuffy headmaster (Jonathan Pryce) warns the faculty to not voice any opinions on their break about the political situation.


Tom goes on a holiday to Uruguay, where he saves an oil-covered penguin as he tries to impress a woman he met on the beach. He then finds himself compelled to take the animal back to Argentina, and tries to keep it hidden in his bathtub. But his students, his colleague (Bjorn Gustafsson), and the housekeepers Maria (Vivian El Jabar) and her grand-daughter Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio), find out about “Juan Salvador” and love playing with the Magellanic penguin.

The Coogan character we are led to believe deeply cares about his pet and also becomes aware of the cruelty of the dictatorship.

The modest film avoids the political situation as much as it can, even if noting that by the end of the fascist regime 30,000 were killed or vanished.

The formulaic comedy takes delight mostly over the comical reaction shots from the penguin (the film’s real star).

Though Coogan’s performance with such slight material shows how affecting he can be as an actor, the contrived film failed to be political enough, was too clunky and tried too hard to be a feel-good film during a criminal fascist regime.

It played at the Toronto Film Festival.

 
REVIEWED ON 4/1/2025  GRADE: C+
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