My Penguin Friend
The old fashionedness is radical in “My Penguin Friend.” It’s a sincere, crowd pleasing family film no snark or self-reference or on-the-nose needle drops just a lovely, well made movie that earns the emotion it will surely elicit from audiences.
Director David Schurmann tells the true story of the unlikely friendship between a penguin and a fisherman that lasted for many years and over thousands of miles. In June every year, the penguin would migrate from Patagonia at the tip of Argentina, up along the Eastern edge of South America, to Ilha Grande off the coast of Brazil. It’s like “Same Time, Next Year” with a flightless bird instead of Ellen Burstyn.
In Kristen Lazarian and Paulina Lagudi Ulrich’s screenplay, the fisherman, João (Jean Reno), has suffered an enormous loss at the outset of the film which makes it all the more poignant when this penguin shows up. Reno gives such a vulnerable and moving performance as João, who goes from being a simple man broken by tragedy to being transformed by the thrill of this unexpected connection, he runs such a gamut here from sorrow to joy to an impish sense of playfulness and his openness is just mesmerizing. As João’s wife Maria (Oscar nominee Adriana Barraza) is solid as always as a steady source of calm through thick and thin although she is not too thrilled at first about having this penguin waddling around her modest beachfront bungalow kitchen.
But DinDim is too cute to resist. That’s what they call him after one little girl in town names him that way and it sticks. And part of what makes this movie so great is that these are actual penguins we’re seeing not animatronics or CGI creations. The press notes tell us that we see real live penguins 80 percent of the time, with some wire-controlled dummies and digital effects. It gives it a much more compelling feeling of closeness and genuineness. Schurmann shoots a lot of the film from low angles and from DinDim’s point of view with Anthony Dod Mantle, who often works with Danny Boyle, as his cinematographer; that gives it an infectious sense of childlike wonder especially when DinDim gets mischievous.
That’s another great thing about “My Penguin Friend” it works on different levels for different viewers. Kids will love the silly energy while adults can appreciate the craftsmanship behind the chaos. Dod Mantle provides lovely images that keep the movie buoyant from vibrant sunsets to endless ocean vistas to quiet moments in the family kitchen.
So whenever this heartwarming story cuts away from itself and goes back down to Patagonia to check in on what those researchers are doing, it’s such a bummer. Alexia Moyano, Nicolás Francella and Rocio Hernández play scientists who study these cuddly creatures, taking notes on their migration patterns as well as their activities in Argentina. DinDim is notable for his friendliness and curiosity but Francella’s one note character is a consistent naysayer who doesn’t think this particular penguin is anything special.
Once there’s a viral video of DinDim being adorable with João and his fellow villagers, and it occurs to them that he might be one of theirs up there, too God love ‘em then tracking him down back and forth becomes really tedious. Everyone speaks English because of the international nature of the cast and production makes things easier
However, in the Patagonia areas, the dialogue as well as delivery seem to be flat and awkward especially compared with the rest of the movie’s joviality.
For More Movies Visit Putlocker.