Heart-warming ‘Penguin’ is a sure-fire charmer
Adorable doesn’t begin to describe the kid-friendly nature picture “My Penguin Friend.” There are so many oohs and aahs elicited over its sugary-sweet 97 minutes that you forgive the shameless manipulation by director David Schurmann.
He and director of photography Anthony Dod Mantle (“Slumdog Millionaire”) fully recognize the power of the waddling, tuxedoed seabirds to woo millions with their inherent charm. And they exploit it to the max with a story that strikes at the heart of every pet owner who’s experienced the joyous bond between man and beast.
What’s mind-blowing is that the events depicted were sorta really experienced by fisherman Joāo Pereira De Souza (Jean Reno) and his wife, Maria (Adriana Barraza), a decade or so ago when a penguin they dubbed DinDim came into their grief-stricken lives.
Oil-soaked and near death, DinDim had the good fortune of being spotted by Joāo off the beaches of his home on Ilha Grande near Rio de Janeiro. Against Maria’s wishes, Joāo nursed the bird back to health and returned him to the wild thinking he’d never see his short-time companion again. But within hours, DinDim could be heard squawking outside his door.
It was the start of a beautiful friendship that would last years, with DinDim embarking each autumn on the 5,000-mile swim to Patagonia to join his flock for breeding season, then returning each June to spend summers with Joāo. The pair were the hit of the village, with DinDim behaving more like a canine pup than a flightless bird. Inevitably, they found themselves going viral on social media. And the rest is history. But it was hardly the end of it.
Thus, “My Penguin Friend,” a film that beautifully illustrates the power of friendship, while also presenting a strong case for preserving an environment dramatically under attack by climate change. Schurmann seamlessly blends the two elements into a powerful reminder that we are all – man and penguin – in this together, each dependent on the other.
For the movie’s purposes, it would seem Joāo needs DinDim more, given his decades-long despair following the tragic boating accident that claimed his young son, Oscar. Incapable of cracking a smile, he largely kept to himself for decades, much to the consternation of his fellow fisherman. But that all changes when DinDim comes along. Heck, even Maria is happy to give the bird the run of the house, with sorrow quickly ceding to happiness.
Reno, best known as a member of Tom Cruise’s Impossible Mission Force, is perfection as Joāo. He may not be Portuguese, but you’d hardly notice. That’s because the core of his performance is in his soulful eyes, somber and distant at the onset and bright and jubilant by the end. It’s a gradual transformation that’s exciting to observe. Those peepers do all the talking, and they make a lasting impression. You feel Joāo’s every emotion. And that’s all Reno.
Adults will appreciate him most because the kiddos likely will be fixated on the 10 or so penguins recruited to portray DinDim. Fully expect your offspring to be enraptured to the point they’re begging for a pet penguin of their own. You might even feel the same, but like Joāo, you first must be willing to spend months apart every year. How Joāo was able to withstand those separations is remarkable.
Equally impressive is the ability of penguins to use their built-in GPS to travel great distances, never needing to stop and ask for directions. It’s almost as mind-boggling as DinDim winding up off the coast of Rio in the first place. Penguins just don’t migrate that far north. The film’s implication, I suppose, is that it was destiny that Joāo and DinDim should meet and heal each other. It’s all very cosmic and spiritual, but the movie doesn’t beat you over the head with it.
The only misstep is in the introduction of a trio of avian researchers (Alexis Moyano, Nicolás Francella and Rocio Hernández) who are drawn to DinDim for scientific purposes (think “E.T.”) that include placing him in permanent captivity. It comes off as heavy-handed and unnecessary. But the rest of the movie is nothing short of delightful, with Reno sparkling and the penguins presumptuously outfitted in their Oscar tuxes. Who says birds can’t be hams?
Movie review
My Penguin Friend
Rated: PG
Cast: Jean Reno, Adriana Barraza, Alexis Moyano, Nicolás Francella and Rocio Hernández
Director: David Schurmann
Writers: Paulina Lagudi Ulrich and Kristen Lazarian
Runtime: 97 minutes
Where: In theaters Aug. 16
Grade: B
