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Topic: The Penguin Lessons
Posted by: Susan Kelly
Date/Time: 20/04/25 15:45:00

Tom arrives in Buenos Aires in 1976 on the eve of a military coup. He's there to teach English at a posh boys' school. When the coup happens, the school closes for a week and he takes the chance to go to Uruguay for a brief holiday.

Tom seems to be a man who cares only about himself (and it's a long time before we find out the reason for that) so when he rescues a penguin from an oil slick, it's not out of the goodness of his heart but to impress a woman he's hoping to sleep with.

Still, he finds himself lumbered with 'Juan Salvador' and takes him back to Argentina with him. His pupils are spoiled brats but JS gets their attention and he's soon using him as a prop for his lessons. Then a teenage maid at the school is 'disappeared' by the regime.

The film flirts with sentimentality but, given that we are at the start of one of the vilest of the South American dictatorships, it's safe from falling off. I suppose in the circumstances some might find the moments of comedy tone deaf but Steve Coogan carries them off.

It's a good way to spend 2 hours on an Easter Sunday afternoon.

Entire Thread
TopicDate PostedPosted By
Film Reviews 202504/01/25 15:25:00 Susan Kelly
   We Live in Time04/01/25 15:26:00 Susan Kelly
      Re:We Live in Time05/01/25 21:28:00 Sara Nathan
   Flow05/01/25 21:47:00 Sara Nathan
   The Substance06/01/25 21:45:00 Sara Nathan
   Seed of the sacred fig (Farsi and subtitles)08/01/25 00:03:00 Sara Nathan
      Re:Seed of the sacred fig (Farsi and subtitles)26/02/25 21:47:00 Joe Conneely
         Re:Re:Seed of the sacred fig (Farsi and subtitles)03/03/25 17:19:00 Chris Hurley
   A Real Pain11/01/25 15:51:00 Susan Kelly
      Re:A Real Pain11/01/25 23:06:00 Sara Nathan
   Nickel Boys12/01/25 16:46:00 Susan Kelly
      Re:Nickel Boys16/01/25 21:53:00 Sara Nathan
   Heretic16/01/25 21:47:00 Sara Nathan
   Love Lies Bleeding18/01/25 22:19:00 Sara Nathan
   A Complete Unknown19/01/25 14:36:00 Susan Kelly
      Re:A Complete Unknown19/01/25 21:56:00 Joe Conneely
         Re:Re:A Complete Unknown25/01/25 06:49:00 Alastair Banton
            Re:Re:Re:A Complete Unknown25/01/25 07:12:00 Alastair Banton
               Babygirl26/01/25 12:24:00 Joe Conneely
      Re:A Complete Unknown (saw last year)01/02/25 16:27:00 Sara Nathan
   The Brutalist26/01/25 17:50:00 Susan Kelly
      Re:The Brutalist02/02/25 09:25:00 Norman Redfern
   Inside Out 201/02/25 16:26:00 Sara Nathan
   Re:Film Reviews 202501/02/25 16:32:00 Sara Nathan
      Emilia Perez (again!) forgot to change the header04/02/25 21:21:00 Sara Nathan
   Hard Truths02/02/25 14:23:00 Susan Kelly
   Vermiglio04/02/25 20:06:00 Susan Kelly
   Wild Robot04/02/25 21:27:00 Sara Nathan
   Becoming Led Zeppelin07/02/25 22:34:00 Joe Conneely
   September 5th08/02/25 15:02:00 Susan Kelly
   The Last Showgirl11/02/25 21:48:00 Joe Conneely
   Bridget Jones: mad about the boy15/02/25 23:38:00 Sara Nathan
      Re:Bridget Jones: mad about the boy16/02/25 16:28:00 Susan Kelly
   BAFTAS16/02/25 23:09:00 Sara Nathan
      Re:BAFTAS18/02/25 14:25:00 Alastair Banton
   I'm Still Here04/03/25 17:09:00 Susan Kelly
      Re:I'm Still Here17/03/25 16:30:00 Joe Conneely
   Cottontail08/03/25 14:23:00 Susan Kelly
      Re:Cottontail17/03/25 12:15:00 Alastair Banton
   Mickey 1708/03/25 16:46:00 Joe Conneely
      Re:Mickey 1709/03/25 16:50:00 Susan Kelly
   Black Bag15/03/25 22:31:00 Joe Conneely
      Re:Black Bag19/03/25 18:01:00 Susan Kelly
         Re:Re:Black Bag20/03/25 21:41:00 Sara Nathan
   Opus21/03/25 13:30:00 Joe Conneely
   When Autumn Falls22/03/25 15:25:00 Susan Kelly
   The Alto Knights26/03/25 17:15:00 Joe Conneely
   No Other Land28/03/25 21:25:00 Joe Conneely
   Twiggy28/03/25 21:45:00 Joe Conneely
   Santosh31/03/25 17:23:00 Susan Kelly
      Re:Santosh02/04/25 20:32:00 Joe Conneely
   Mr Burton06/04/25 14:26:00 Susan Kelly
      Re:Mr Burton07/04/25 23:31:00 Sara Nathan
   Misericordia08/04/25 20:16:00 Susan Kelly
   Four mothers11/04/25 21:58:00 Sara Nathan
   Holy Cow (French with subtitles)15/04/25 00:18:00 Sara Nathan
      Re:Holy Cow (French with subtitles)16/04/25 19:58:00 Susan Kelly
   The Amateur15/04/25 22:40:00 Joe Conneely
   One to One: John & Yoko18/04/25 21:54:00 Joe Conneely
   The Penguin Lessons20/04/25 15:45:00 Susan Kelly
      Re:The Penguin Lessons21/04/25 22:44:00 Sara Nathan
   The Friend29/04/25 17:50:00 Susan Kelly
   The Wedding Banquet14/05/25 15:25:00 Susan Kelly
   Good One18/05/25 21:39:00 Susan Kelly
   Hallow Road22/05/25 19:51:00 Susan Kelly
   The Phoenician Scheme25/05/25 15:35:00 Susan Kelly
   The Marching Band27/05/25 16:44:00 Susan Kelly
   The Ballad of Wallis Island01/06/25 16:14:00 Susan Kelly
      Re:The Ballad of Wallis Island07/06/25 15:33:00 Alastair Banton
   The Salt Path02/06/25 23:30:00 Sara Nathan
      Re:The Salt Path06/06/25 17:49:00 Susan Kelly
   Along Came Love14/06/25 17:58:00 Susan Kelly
   Jane Austen Wrecked My Life17/06/25 17:22:00 Susan Kelly
   28 Years Later19/06/25 23:17:00 Susan Kelly
      Re:28 Years Later20/06/25 13:31:00 Michael Robinson
   Sinners20/06/25 13:40:00 Michael Robinson
   The Last Journey (Swedish with subtitles)03/07/25 22:27:00 Sara Nathan
      Hot Milk07/07/25 21:37:00 Joe Conneely
   From Hilde With Love08/07/25 17:02:00 Susan Kelly

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