The Penguin Lessons Review – An Enjoyable Dramady, Heartwarming, Inspirational
- Details
- Category: Haute This Issue
- Published on Wednesday, 19 March 2025 12:10
- Written by Janet Walker
The Penguin Lessons, from Sony Pictures Classics, presents the story of a man searching for purpose after life dealt him a severe blow, who stumbles on a penguin, beached from an oil-spill, and how they save each other.
The film begins in Argentina, in the 1976, and Tom Mitchell, played by Steve Coogan, is approaching the walls of an elite boy's school. As the political uncertainty grows, we see the beginnings here as the school maintenance is repainting the walls where messages of distrust are graphically written.
Oh My Goodness! Review - French Comedy Delivers Big Laughs
Greeting him is the Headmaster Buckle, played by Jonathan Pryce, who walks him through the building to his accommodations explicating explaining the rules which included no pets, under any circumstances. Once Mitchell enters his apartment, he meets an elderly woman, the school's housekeeper Maria, played by Vivian El Jabar. And soon, he meets the science teacher, played by Bjorn Gustafson.
Soon classes begin, and his class is typically uncontrollable, a group of adolescent boys including Diego, played by David Herrero, Ernesto, played by Aimar Miranda, Ramiro, played by Hugo Fuertes, each unsure of the future, where position is defined by the opinions of the parents. Diego is a quiet young man being bullied by Ernesto and Ramiro.
One week into the school year, there is a military coup, and Argentina is cast into uncertainty. The parents come to retrieve the boys, and with the school closed Mitchell decides to go to Uruguay for a week of partying. He meets a beautiful woman, played by Micaela Breque, and as the night turns to dawn the two are walking on the beach when they come upon a group of penguins murdered by the oil spill.
Any Day Now Review – Directorial Debut Delivers Entertaining, Amusing High-Jinks
As they are looking at the devastation, they hear the faint sound of life, and one penguin raises his head. Of course, the woman is immediately sympathetic and Mitchell, has lost his empathy somewhere, and it shows as he begins to presents reasons why recusing this penguin is a waste of time. The beautiful woman convinces him of the value of this effort, and they return to his hotel room and begin to clean the oil from the penguin. Once she leaves, Mitchell is stuck with the penguin he never wanted to rescue in the first place, and even in his best effort to reunite the penguin with the sea, the penguin returns to him, his new found mate.
The weekend, and the military coup, has ended and now Mitchell is returning to Argentina, and a last-ditch effort to leave the penguin in the hotel results in the military explaining take the penguin or we will arrest you.
Mitchell arrives back at the school, where Headmaster Buckle is waiting to explain to him, he needs to become more proactive in his teaching, and during this gentle but clear reprimand, our penguin, who is being covertly carried in a bag, has regained his voice and is using it causing the Headmaster to look to the skies for the odd bird who is so close and loud.
A Different Man Review – Excellent Story Driven Performances, A Must See
Stuck now with a penguin he didn't want, he decides to try to have the local zoo adopt him. Before he can get out the door, Maria and her granddaughter, Sofia, played by Alfonsina Carrocio, who also works at the school, and is outspoken against the atrocities of the government, find proof that there is something in Mitchell's apartment and pets are against the rules. So, he just explains the truth, and soon the penguin who refused to eat for a week, is gobbling up the treats the women are feeding him.
As Mitchell returns to class the boys are even more unruly, he decides that's enough and walks out, and returns with the penguin, and the boys are immediately silenced. The penguin becomes the turning point.
This leads into the third act, and the surprising ending.
The Substance Review – A Shocking, Electrifying Jolt of Injected Adrenaline, A Must See
The Penguin Lessons, which is based on true events, weaves together this dramatic comedy into an enjoyable story while adding subtle critical moments, including the ecological effects of deep-sea drilling on marine life and the tactics of the Argentinian military to disappear people who pose a threat, without overpowering the narrative.
The ensemble cast draws the viewer into this world, and we live these moments of uncertainty, and heartbreak. All the main actors have clear character arcs, and we see them transform persuaded by this unique educational inspiration. The story is well written, and the film well-directed.
What I found most surprising was the footnote this moment was in the author's memories as the viewers are told at the end, this true story was only rediscovered later in his life. What a rich life it must have been.
Heartwarming and inspiration, The Penguin Lessons, is entertaining and enjoyable. It opens in theaters March 28, 2025. See it.
Cold Wallet Review - Gripping, A Suspenseful Crypto Thriller
Country: UK.
Language: English, Spanish with English Subtitles.
Runtime: 110 minutes.
Director: Peter Cattaneo.
Writer: Jeff Pope, based on Tom Mitchell's Memoir "The Penguin Lessons."
Producer: Rory Aitken, Adrian Guerra, Andrew Noble, Ben Pugh, Robert Walak.
Executive Producer: Steve Coogan, Joshua Horsfield, Elizabeth Kormanova, Richard Mansell, Tom Michell, Jeff Pope, Josh Varney, Nia Vazirani.
Cast: Steve Coogan, Jonathan Pryce, Vivian El Jaber, Björn Gustafsson, Alfonsina Carrocio, David Herrero, Almar Miranda, Nicanor Fernandez, Hugo Fuertes, Joaquin Lopez, Miguel Alejandro Serrano.
Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade. A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays, "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She is completing the non-fiction narrative, "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," which is expected to be released in early 2025. She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a former member of the International Federation of Journalists.
