Directed by: Peter Cattaneo
Written by: Jeff Pope
Run Time: 1 hour 52 minutes

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Director Peter Cattaneo first made waves in the late nineties with his beloved British comedy The Full Monty (1997). His debut managed to break records, becoming the highest grossing film of all time at the UK box office and even nabbed Cattaneo a Best Director Oscar nomination. Though, he has never quite reached those same successful heights since. However with his latest effort, The Penguin Lessons, boasting a lead performance from Steve Coogan and a screenplay by Academy Award nominee Jeff Pope (Philomena), he’s every chance of delivering another crowd-pleasing comedy-drama.

Inspired by true events, Coogan plays cold and distant English teacher Tom Michell, author of the real-life memoir that The Penguin Lessons is based on. He takes on a position at an Argentine boarding school against the backdrop of the 1976 Coup D’Etat, which saw President Isabel Perón overthrown. Meanwhile during a holiday to Uruguay, Tom rescues a penguin from an oil slick and forms an unlikely friendship with him, one that he must keep secret from his colleagues, especially his strict boss Headmaster Buckle (Jonathan Pryce).

With peculiar relationships, dry humour and cute animal hijinxs aplenty, The Penguin Lessons certainly contains all the elements of a crowd-pleasing British comedy-drama. Yet, it also features political and historical commentary about the Argentine government’s authoritarian policies. Evidently, these are two very different stories, and it feels as if scripts for two different films (one about a lonely man who finds joy in life through adopting a penguin, and the other a historical exploration of Argentine political turmoil) have been awkwardly strung together. There’s very little cohesion between the two, and it’s easy to forget one when the other is at the forefront.

Another issue the film faces is not knowing who its audience is. This is partly the fault of the marketing, as trailers shown before Paddington in Peru (2024) and Wicked (2024) had no indication of the more mature plot involving the Coup D’Etat. This may be a surprise for families who were just hoping for a simple, good-natured animal flick. Arguably, it’s really aimed at an older crowd, but even then there’s a surprising amount of language and innuendo that seems a little out of place for that type of audience. It’s another factor that contributes to the film’s overall lack of focus, and the way The Penguin Lesson concludes both aforementioned plot lines is rather forced and haphazard. 

However, The Penguin Lessons is certainly not without its redeeming qualities, especially its emotional lead performance from Steve Coogan. From the beginning he conveys that, whilst Tom is a polite and calm person, there’s something else going on under the surface. However, Coogan never feels the need to overdo it, instead providing a naturalistic portrayal of the character’s privacy, the reasons for which are later revealed, albeit in the form of some rather clunky exposition.

The supporting characters whom Tom develops friendships with, such as housekeeper Maria (Vivian El Jaber) and her granddaughter Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio) are suitably likeable too. While often underdeveloped, they are also charismatic enough to connect with. This is of course helped by their shared discovery of the titular penguin ‘Juan Salvador’ who in turn becomes a great surrogate for them to process their thoughts and feelings through.

It’s no surprise that the penguins themselves are truly adorable, so much so it’s hard not to fall in love them. Their presence is made even more respectable considering how the filmmakers worked so closely with animal trainers to make sure they were treated with care on set, even using animatronic penguins for certain scenes. What’s maybe even more impressive though is how Coogan and the penguins have better chemistry than some of the most recent romantic relationships portrayed on film. 

Though despite all its loveable animal moments, a solid leading performance from Steve Coogan and plenty of good intentions, sadly The Penguin Lessons just doesn’t come together, especially by the time it reaches its awkward conclusion. Due to its lack of focus on the aforementioned Coup D’Etat, the most notable conflict instead comes from the two, very tonally different storylines at war with each other. So whilst it does have plenty to admire, ironically this penguin picture never manages to properly take flight.

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Star Rating: ★ ★

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