Film Review: The Penguin Lessons

The Penguin Lessons is the latest in that oh so recognisable cinema sub-trope, British people doing slightly quirky things in the face of adversity. The film is directed by Peter Cattaneo, also known for The Full Monty - that 1997 classic which saw recently unemployed steelworkers turn their hands (and other things) to stripping - that quirkiness in the face of adversity is Cattaneo’s forte. 

This time, it’s 1976 and Steve Coogan plays Tom Michell, an English teacher who starts work at a school for privileged boys in Argentina just as a military junta seizes power in a coup. The pupils are not committed to work and neither is Michell, but in the meantime he strikes up an unlikely friendship with his cleaner Maria (Vivian El Jaber) and her fiery granddaughter Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio).

In one part of the film, whilst on a trip to Uruguay, Michell tries to seduce a woman by helping her clean a penguin who has been caught in an oil slick. The seduction fails but the penguin won’t leave him and he is forced, by the hotel staff, border police and his own conscience, to take the penguin back to the school. So far, so fun, and there are a lot of laughs to be had in Michell’s attempts to deal with the animal. But when Sophia gets snatched off the street by the military police and ‘disappeared’, the impact on her family, already impoverished and bereaved following her mother’s death, the film takes a slightly darker turn.

Now, if you’re wanting a serious film about the impact of the disappearances in Argentina at this time, this isn’t it. It skirts around the issues, but as it’s based on a true story from Michell’s book and he is, at best, peripheral to the wider context of the horrors of the time, this is hardly surprising.

People often find themselves caught up in something bigger than them and that’s what this film illustrates. The serious elements do mean that this isn’t just a quirky tale about one man and his penguin; it’s got some bite to balance out the funny parts. Coogan puts in the relaxed performance of a man who knows he will be outshone by a penguin in every scene, and the supporting cast are strong. Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) plays a small part as the headmaster, but the film has a mostly Argentinian cast.

The film gives you an ‘in’ to the history of the time but it’s meant to be more light-hearted and on the whole, it pulls this off. If you like a story that makes you laugh but also makes you think, then you can’t go wrong with The Penguin Lessons.