Expecting the worst, comedian Steve Coogan adopting a penguin as a pet, I was surprised to see that this film had a lot more going for it than I thought. This film has the ominous credit scrawl, "based on a true story." But I will say Steve Coogan who is a funny guy also makes films that have a lot more to them then just comedic situations. Coogan was the producer on Philomena a true story film a woman abused by the Catholic Church. Coogan also played comedian Oliver Hardy in a decent film biography about Laurel and Hardy.
In The Penguin Lessons Coogan plays a teacher working at a boarding school in Argentina while the millitary was in power after overthrowing the elected government. During a short vacation to the ocean he comes across a penguin covered in oil. After cleaning the penguin up, Coogan tries to return it to the ocean but the penguin has bonded to him. Coogan ends up taking the penguin back to his boarding school where the penguin bonds with the students and staff.
Up to this point the plot seems simple and feel good enough but the film takes a turn when the daughter of one of the employees is arrested by the country's secret police for being a political activist. Coogan has to decide if he will intervene to get the daughter released which could be at the expense of his own personal safety.
I'll give this film credit, it could have easily taken the low road with lots of penguin being cute scenes but the filmmakers did try to put a little bit of a spine into one of these "adorable" animal films. The film also doesn't have some gratuitous love interest to distract from the story for a change. Overall an agreeable story well told.
The film was written by Jeff Pope, the running time is 112 minutes.
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