My Penguin Friend
My Penguin Friend
The approach that “My Penguin Friend” takes, which is evidently rather old-fashioned, also possesses a radical quality. It is an honest, patriotic children’s story – no sarcasm, no shameless self-referentiality, no arrogant insertions of catchy songs – just a soft and well-produced film that fully justifies the tears it is bound to provoke among the audience.
That is when we speak about David Schurmann whose directorial debut was about a man and a penguin. Stories about fishermen who have a penguin as their best friend existed long before such films. Every June, the wayward emperor penguin would leave his home base in Argentina’s Patagonia region, moving north to the Ilha Grande island located off the coast of Brazil. It’s like “Same Time, Next Year,” except replacing Ellen Burstyn with a flightless bird.
In the script from Kristen Lazarian and Paulina Lagudi Ulrich, at the onset of the movie, the fisherman who is João is seen at great emotional loss which makes the arrival of the penguin a shocker. Jean Reno shines through with a smooth and heartwarming performance captivating the audience as he plays a peasant called João devastated by calamity who rediscovers hope through an excitement he never knew after meeting this new friend. He goes through a lot over here, from sadness to happiness, and even an impish playful spirit, all of which are very attractive in his performance.
And Maria, someone who as João’s wife remains stalwart as the Oscar-nominated Adriana Barraza, is a constant replenishing source regardless of the up and down moments. But she also, predictably, is not very happy at first with a penguin appearing and walking around the kitchen of her tiny immaculate bungalow at the beach.
It’s all because DinDim is a darling little thing. It is a name which a small girl in the village gives to the penguin and it permanently sticks in her mind. And part of what is simply amazing about the Davis-Julien movie is that it features actual penguins and not animatronics or CGI creations.
The press notes inform us to a fair degree regarding which about around 80 percent of the time there are live penguins visible, with maybe some moving dummy and/or computer graphics thrown in. The result is that any viewer is immersed in an overwhelming sense of closeness and realness.
Schurmann, a regular partner of Danny Boyle, who is considered to be an outstanding cinematographer, Anthony Dod Mantle shot most of the film from low angle position or from a penguin’s perspective. This made the movie very colorful and made the audience feel childlike calls who wished for stupid fun especially when DinDim gets naughty.
This presents a good example of how in “My Penguin Friend” adheres visualization to different age groups delivering not only entertaining content. Children will enjoy the ridiculousness while relative age appreciation can be found in the skill expressed in that madness.
From the contrasting hues of the sunset to the everlasting views of the sea to even the meager scenes in the family kitchen, Dod Mantle is able to provide extraordinary images that appease the film once more.
This…is why it’s such a letdown whenever “My Penguin Friend” cuts away from this heartwarming story and returns to Patagonia to see what the researchers there are doing. Alexia Moyano, Nicolás Francella , and Rocio Hernández play the scientists who study these cuddly creatures, taking notes on their migration patterns as well as their activities in South America. DinDim stands out for his friendliness and curiosity, although Francella’s one-note character is a consistent naysayer who doesn’t think this particular penguin is anything special.
Once it gets online and goes viral the video of DinDim acting cute with João and his village friends and the thinking dawns on them that DinDim could be one of theirs the process of searching for him becomes quite tedious and frustrating more so because of the push and pull of trying to look for him.
Because of the international nature of the cast and the production, everybody talks in English which helps in such instances. The conversatin and the delivery aspects of the patagonia sections still remains flat devoid of the vivacity that the other parts of the film have.
Nonetheless, the love of DinDim from the arms of João shaken such… Joao asserts dominion over Din Dim that Din Min sunnteh assumes Gonad contraception all comes.
The effect that this pivotal rescue has towards the end of a narrative in pieces which would repeatedly reflect back to the calamity at the beginning of the film may seem too much of a contrived detail, still, it grants a much needed opportunity for atonement and closure.
The visual aspect is so loving here and, thanks to the teary tenderness of Reno, it is easy to get carried away with the feelings. And here it is: You may not think you need ‘My Penguin Friend’ in your life as well, but trust me, you do.
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- Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family
- Country: United States
- Director: David Schurmann
- Cast: Jean Reno, Adriana Barraza, Alexia Moyano
