The Penguin Lessons

While the film offers heartwarming moments and gentle humour, it ultimately plays it safe ­– neither fully embracing its quirky premise or digging into its historica setting.

Cattaneo has it made as far as Coogan’s palmiped co-star is involved: throw in a few quizzical beak-raised reaction shots and you can’t fail. But the combination of farce, stark political reality and a shameless ahh factor is decidedly awkward.

The film never hits the heights of charm for which it’s aiming.

If you do pick up a penguin, you could do worse than experience Michell’s kind of spiritual and moral awakening. Still, the film is thankfully sharper and less cute than it initially appears.

Weirdly, I felt that this odd film might have worked better if it was just about the lonely man and the penguin without the Argentinian tyranny -- or just about the lonely man and the Argentinian tyranny without the penguin.

When all is said and done, “The Penguin Lessons” is about finding the courage to stand up to injustice at one’s own peril

Coogan imbues the character with attractively dry humour, and there's solid support from Jonathan Pryce as his stuffy headmaster.

The film tells the story of the disappearances of the dictatorship in the background (but never less important) and the tale of a loner, who could not have found a better companion than a Patagonian penguin. [Full Review in Spanish]

The unorthodox narrative and tonal whiplash of The Penguin Lessons make it an oddity. Nevertheless, the charismatic cast and the convictions of its sentiments make it an intriguing and ultimately life-affirming watch.

Equal parts funny and charming yet sincere and thought-provoking, The Penguin Lessons takes a while to show its true colours but really comes to life when delving into its societal themes.