JEANNE’S REVIEW

The always beguiling Steve Coogan stars in the delightful yet moving dramedy, THE PENGUIN LESSONS, inspired by the memoir by Tom Michell. The story unfolds in a private British school for boys, St. George’s College, in 1976 Buenos Aires, amidst the political upheaval in Argentina.

Tom (Coogan) has taken the position as English teacher at St. George’s expecting a carefree experience. Instead, he encounters Headmaster Buckle (Jonathan Pryce), a rather nervous academic with many rules, including no pets anywhere on the school’s campus. Following a rather politically charged event in Buenos Aires, the boys are sent home and Tom retreats to the seaside for a respite.

In an effort to impress a woman, he rescues a near-death Magellanic penguin covered in black crude oil. Together they clean him up, but the woman reveals she is married and must return home. So, Tom is left with the penguin. He tries to return him to the water, but the penguin has already become attached to Tom and won’t leave his side.

There is nothing for him to do but return to St. George’s where he plans to take the penguin to the local zoo in Buenos Aires. But before he can accomplish that, his housekeeper, Maria (Vivian El Jaber) and her granddaughter, Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio), discover the penguin. Sofia is immediately smitten and names him Juan Salvador.

In an effort to get his students more interested in learning, Tom starts taking Juan Salvador to class. The boys respond very well to the penguin’s presence, raising their grades significantly, all while keeping Juan Salvador out of sight from Buckle. But during a visit to town to purchase fish for his penguin, Tom witnesses Sofia’s abduction by the vicious regime and does nothing to stop it.

Working from a well-conceived, engaging screenplay adapted by Jeff Pope from Michell’s book, director Peter Cattaneo has done a masterful job of not only conveying the incredible relationship between Tom and Juan Salvador, but also expanding the heart-wrenching strife endured by the people of Argentina during this era of a brutal dictatorship. We are at once enamored with Juan Salvador and his blossoming friendships with everyone around him --- and then horrified by the cruelty of a regime in which 30,000 people just disappeared.

The main focus of THE PENGUIN LESSONS, though, is on the remarkable bond between Tom and Juan Salvador. Coogan has always been a true favorite of mine. His series of travel films with Rob Brydon are among the most hilarious comedies out there. His comedic timing is superb, but he’s also very capable at the dramatic side of acting, and here, as Tom, he is perfectly cast.

And of course, Juan Salvador is paramount to the success of THE PENGUIN LESSONS. Played by two real penguins, Baba and Richard, the cast and crew were never sure how filming would proceed, but the results are mesmerizing --- and speak for themselves. Coogan worked very closely with both penguins and developed quite a bond, to the point of being very emotional when it was time to say farewell.

In 2024, David and I were completely enthralled with MY PENGUIN FRIEND, another movie depicting the love between a human and a penguin, also based on a true story. We were obnoxious in our exuberance over that story --- and now I fear we will be again. THE PENGUIN LESSONS is a wonderful example of the rewards of kindness and love. It should not be missed!

Opinion: Strong See It Now!

DAVID’S REVIEW

Just in time for spring 2025 we have another penguin film to enjoy. THE PENGUIN LESSONS should not be confused with the wonderful 2024 release MY PENGUIN FRIEND --- although there are similarities. This movie is also based on actual events, i.e., a penguin is rescued from its oil-covered existence, saved by a caring human.

Based on the 2015 novel by Tom Michell, THE PENGUIN LESSONS stars Steve Coogan as the Englishman Michell who settles in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1976 to teach at a prestigious boarding school. At that time in history, Argentina was dealing with serious unrest at the hands of Communists, and Oscar-nominated director Peter Cattaneo (THE FULL MONTY) does provide some insight about this. But at its heart, THE PENGUIN LESSONS is all about the caring of an injured animal and the bird’s effect on everyone around him.

Named Juan Salvadore, the penguin is a huge hit with everybody and even helps Tom connect with his unruly students. Part of that unruliness involves young student Diego (David Herrero) who is bullied by classmates --- but who has the last laugh?

Coogan was born to play this role. He is funny, endearing and wildly entertaining. His character meets some very interesting people, including a very pretty young woman at a dance club in Uruguay. He also develops two friendships with a grandmother and her granddaughter, Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio), at the school.

Playing opposite Coogan is Jonathan Pryce as the school’s headmaster. As you might expect, he is perfect as the overbearing Buckle who thinks way too highly of his school and his position.

Writer Jeff Pope, who collaborated with Coogan on the terrific film PHILOMENA in 2013, penned the screenplay for THE PENGUIN LESSONS. But even a talented scribe like Pope could not anticipate that a penguin would follow his script to the letter. As Cattaneo relates, Juan Salvador did a lot of adlibbing during the shoot, much to the delight of everyone on set. It is reported that Coogan, especially, had a difficult time saying goodbye to the two penguins with which he trained --- Baba and Richard.

Opinion: See It Now!