This film directed by Peter Cattaneo is based on the true story of a British school teacher who starts working in a boarding school in Argentina during the political unrest of 1970s Argentina.
The main character, Tom Michell, is a man who appears at first to be an apathetic and uninspiring teacher. We later learn that his young daughter was killed which caused his morose nature. On a trip to Uruguay, he grudgingly rescues a penguin from an oil slick to impress a female. He finds himself coerced into taking the penguin back to school with him. His bond with the penguin grows which sparks his engagement with the staff and pupils at the school and awakens his compassion and sense for justice. The penguin manages to unite what were disparate elements at the school.
Steve Coogan plays the part of Michell brilliantly. He displays impeccable comedic timing and brings real depth to his character. He is ably supported by Bjorn Gustafsson who plays a rather dry fellow teacher – the straightman to counter Coogan’s whimsical personality. Jonathan Pryce plays the archetypical stiff-upper-lipped, strict, and unpopular headmaster whose pomposity is burst when he too is won over by the penguin’s charm.
Whilst the male characters have the meatiest roles, they all demonstrate weakness in their personalities (until Michell re-gains his backbone). The two female cleaners of Sofia, played by Alfonsina Carrocio and her grandmother played by Vivian El Jaber have smaller supporting roles, but it is they that continuously demonstrate feistiness and moral bravery.
The film touches on class-warfare, highlighting the differences between the pupils at the elite boarding school and the poverty of the local citizens. The boys are protected by their cosseted environment and the connections and influence of their ultra-wealthy parents unlike the locals.
The humour that the penguin instils is juxtaposed against the horror that the military dictatorship inflicts on the country. The main criticism of the film that I have is that the kidnappings, imprisoning, and torture are treated as a somewhat hazy backdrop. Whilst we do not find out what went on during Michell’s short incarceration, we do see his bruised and dishevelled return. Yet the greater hell that must have been inflicted on Sofia during interrogations in her more protracted incarceration is not addressed. On her return to the school, she appears improbably healthy and unaffected by her ordeal. Obviously, Jeff Pope, with his script, decided to concentrate on the humorous and cute elements of the story rather than dwell on the horrors. It is impossible to view this film without feeling an emotional connection to the penguin – joy at its antics and sorrow at its demise, but I feel that the grittier elements could have been given greater prominence.
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