Bird teaches well in Penguin Lessons

Cross successful concepts in the movies My Octopus Teacher and My Penguin Friend and you get a good idea of where comedian Steve Coogan heads in his newest feature. As expected, The Penguin Lessons showcases the adorable qualities of its title character. Penguins, as we know, march with Charlie Chaplin humor, and they always dress well. The Penguin Lessons feature the Magellanic species of South America, with multiple birds real and animatronic playing Juan Salvador, injured in an oil spill and rescued by a teacher.  The story stems from a memoir by Tom Michell, who left England to teach at an exclusive b

oys school in 1976 Argentina.  In adapting the book, screenwriter Jeff Pope modifies events as needed and tweaks author Michell’s personality to suit Coogan’s acidic comic style, showing Tom as a lackadaisical teacher who needs a good instructor. What better choice than a cute and sensitive penguin? Juan Salvador fills the bill as a good listener and door opener to conversation. Director Peter Cattaneo catches the drift and devotes significant time to showing how a penguin smile causes positive changes for everyone in the story. Well, almost everyone—given its setting during the Argentine quote “dirty war” where some 30,000 people disappeared with tragic results.  The brief shift into to historical turmoil gives Coogan a chance to show off acting skills with darker emotions plus sets the stage for the moment most fans of animal stories dread.  Far less traumatizing than an Old Yeller take on events, The Penguin Lessons stays firmly in the realm of mild family fare demanding little from its students or viewers.