The Penguin Lessons Is A Sweet New Film About A Man And His Rescued Penguin
Sometimes, you just need to sit back and unwind with a fun movie about an adorable penguin. Luckily, The Penguin Lessons fills just that gap. Based on a memoir of the same name written by Tom Michell, starring Alan Partridge and The Trip’s Steve Coogan, it tells the story of a world-weary teacher from Britain living in Argentina.
His normal but slightly downbeat life is changed when he comes across a solitary penguin on a beach and finds himself going on a transformative journey.
What is The Penguin Lessons about?
The Penguin Lessons is set in the mid-1970s, with Englishman Tom Michell (Coogan) arriving in Argentina to work as a teacher at an exclusive school for boys. Leaving behind his life in the UK and adjusting to Argentina, Tom soon finds himself having to keep his lessons from descending into chaos as the unruly kids show little interest in learning and more in messing around or pranking the teacher. He tries to keep things together, as well as keep his head down regarding the ongoing political turmoil in his new country. The school’s headmaster, played by The Crown’s Johnathan Pryce, tells him to avoid it all, but Tom is increasingly intrigued by what he hears and sees around him.
His rocky time in the Latin American nation is changed when he encounters a lost penguin covered in oil on a beach and decides to rescue it just to impress a woman. However, the animal clearly has decided that Tom is who he should stick with and follows him home, forcing the teacher to ‘adopt’ him. While trying to keep the small creature alive and wondering if he hasn’t made a bad decision, Tom suggests letting his pupils meet the penguin. He soon introduces it, now named Juan, to his lessons at the school, and of course, even the bored and disruptive children are fascinated by their new beaky friend. Tom might just find himself moving beyond his growing cynicism about the world as the penguin continues to live with him.
What else do we know, and is there a release date?
The film is based on a true story, following the real Tom Michell’s experiences in Argentina during the 1976 revolution and overthrow of the government. The coup forms a backdrop to the story, as Tom and the Argentine school staff and locals are caught up in events. One of these is Bjorn Gustafsson (Spy), who plays one of Tom’s colleagues, and other cast members include David Herrero, Aimar Miranda, Micaela Braque and Ramiro Blas. The feel-good film will be released in UK cinemas next month on 18th April.
