There's a common saying in entertainment circles advising performers not to include children or animals in their projects because they tend to steal the spotlight. While this is frequently true, it doesn’t always hold up, as demonstrated by director Peter Cattaneo’s newest film. This heartwarming comedy-drama recounts the real-life story of Tom Michell (Steve Coogan), an English teacher who reluctantly accepts a teaching position at St. George’s College, a well-regarded boarding school in Buenos Aires, shortly before the 1976 Argentine revolution. The teacher, having moved around quite a bit, isn't particularly happy about this latest assignment, which is evident in his classroom behavior and general outlook. After arriving, and as a military coup overthrows the government, he decides to leave town until things calm down. He then takes an unplanned vacation to a Uruguayan resort where he meets Carina (Mica Breque), a beautiful and flirtatious woman, at a nightclub. That encounter leads to a late-night walk on the beach, during which they discover a penguin that’s barely alive and covered in oil, having been affected by a recent spill. Hoping to make an impression on this potential romantic interest, Tom and Carina bring the bird back to his hotel to clean it up. What Tom doesn't realize is that the penguin, who would later be named Juan Salvador, has chosen him as its lifelong companion, despite his repeated attempts to release it into the wild. This isn’t something the professor particularly wants, but upon returning to Argentina with the penguin in tow, an unlikely friendship develops between man and bird, amidst a tense social and political climate that proves both threatening and unexpectedly beneficial for them both. Initially, viewers might assume this sounds like a sentimental, overly sweet story similar to those produced by Disney, but it’s quite different. The film tells a genuine and captivating story of personal development and the discovery of inner strength, spurred on by an unlikely feathered guide during a period of social unrest that leaves Tom and much of Argentina feeling uneasy. It's also a story that challenges the old warning about working with children or animals, as Juan Salvador becomes just as integral to the cast as the human characters. The film does stumble somewhat in its beginning, but once it finds its rhythm, it’s a charming and touching movie that is emotional without being cloying. "The Penguin Lessons" is one of those films you really have to see for yourself, because the advertising doesn't do it justice. It’s a heartfelt story that the world could use right now, offering a bit of inspiration during challenging times.

Source on TMDB