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. |
Topic | Date Posted | Posted By |
Film Reviews 2025 | 04/01/25 15:25:00 | Susan Kelly |
We Live in Time | 04/01/25 15:26:00 | Susan Kelly |
Re:We Live in Time | 05/01/25 21:28:00 | Sara Nathan |
Flow | 05/01/25 21:47:00 | Sara Nathan |
The Substance | 06/01/25 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 Pain | 11/01/25 15:51:00 | Susan Kelly |
Re:A Real Pain | 11/01/25 23:06:00 | Sara Nathan |
Nickel Boys | 12/01/25 16:46:00 | Susan Kelly |
Re:Nickel Boys | 16/01/25 21:53:00 | Sara Nathan |
Heretic | 16/01/25 21:47:00 | Sara Nathan |
Love Lies Bleeding | 18/01/25 22:19:00 | Sara Nathan |
A Complete Unknown | 19/01/25 14:36:00 | Susan Kelly |
Re:A Complete Unknown | 19/01/25 21:56:00 | Joe Conneely |
Re:Re:A Complete Unknown | 25/01/25 06:49:00 | Alastair Banton |
Re:Re:Re:A Complete Unknown | 25/01/25 07:12:00 | Alastair Banton |
Babygirl | 26/01/25 12:24:00 | Joe Conneely |
Re:A Complete Unknown (saw last year) | 01/02/25 16:27:00 | Sara Nathan |
The Brutalist | 26/01/25 17:50:00 | Susan Kelly |
Re:The Brutalist | 02/02/25 09:25:00 | Norman Redfern |
Inside Out 2 | 01/02/25 16:26:00 | Sara Nathan |
Re:Film Reviews 2025 | 01/02/25 16:32:00 | Sara Nathan |
Emilia Perez (again!) forgot to change the header | 04/02/25 21:21:00 | Sara Nathan |
Hard Truths | 02/02/25 14:23:00 | Susan Kelly |
Vermiglio | 04/02/25 20:06:00 | Susan Kelly |
Wild Robot | 04/02/25 21:27:00 | Sara Nathan |
Becoming Led Zeppelin | 07/02/25 22:34:00 | Joe Conneely |
September 5th | 08/02/25 15:02:00 | Susan Kelly |
The Last Showgirl | 11/02/25 21:48:00 | Joe Conneely |
Bridget Jones: mad about the boy | 15/02/25 23:38:00 | Sara Nathan |
Re:Bridget Jones: mad about the boy | 16/02/25 16:28:00 | Susan Kelly |
BAFTAS | 16/02/25 23:09:00 | Sara Nathan |
Re:BAFTAS | 18/02/25 14:25:00 | Alastair Banton |
I'm Still Here | 04/03/25 17:09:00 | Susan Kelly |
Re:I'm Still Here | 17/03/25 16:30:00 | Joe Conneely |
Cottontail | 08/03/25 14:23:00 | Susan Kelly |
Re:Cottontail | 17/03/25 12:15:00 | Alastair Banton |
Mickey 17 | 08/03/25 16:46:00 | Joe Conneely |
Re:Mickey 17 | 09/03/25 16:50:00 | Susan Kelly |
Black Bag | 15/03/25 22:31:00 | Joe Conneely |
Re:Black Bag | 19/03/25 18:01:00 | Susan Kelly |
Re:Re:Black Bag | 20/03/25 21:41:00 | Sara Nathan |
Opus | 21/03/25 13:30:00 | Joe Conneely |
When Autumn Falls | 22/03/25 15:25:00 | Susan Kelly |
The Alto Knights | 26/03/25 17:15:00 | Joe Conneely |
No Other Land | 28/03/25 21:25:00 | Joe Conneely |
Twiggy | 28/03/25 21:45:00 | Joe Conneely |
Santosh | 31/03/25 17:23:00 | Susan Kelly |
Re:Santosh | 02/04/25 20:32:00 | Joe Conneely |
Mr Burton | 06/04/25 14:26:00 | Susan Kelly |
Re:Mr Burton | 07/04/25 23:31:00 | Sara Nathan |
Misericordia | 08/04/25 20:16:00 | Susan Kelly |
Four mothers | 11/04/25 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 Amateur | 15/04/25 22:40:00 | Joe Conneely |
One to One: John & Yoko | 18/04/25 21:54:00 | Joe Conneely |
The Penguin Lessons | 20/04/25 15:45:00 | Susan Kelly |
Re:The Penguin Lessons | 21/04/25 22:44:00 | Sara Nathan |
The Friend | 29/04/25 17:50:00 | Susan Kelly |
The Wedding Banquet | 14/05/25 15:25:00 | Susan Kelly |
Good One | 18/05/25 21:39:00 | Susan Kelly |
Hallow Road | 22/05/25 19:51:00 | Susan Kelly |
The Phoenician Scheme | 25/05/25 15:35:00 | Susan Kelly |
The Marching Band | 27/05/25 16:44:00 | Susan Kelly |
The Ballad of Wallis Island | 01/06/25 16:14:00 | Susan Kelly |
Re:The Ballad of Wallis Island | 07/06/25 15:33:00 | Alastair Banton |
The Salt Path | 02/06/25 23:30:00 | Sara Nathan |
Re:The Salt Path | 06/06/25 17:49:00 | Susan Kelly |
Along Came Love | 14/06/25 17:58:00 | Susan Kelly |
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life | 17/06/25 17:22:00 | Susan Kelly |
28 Years Later | 19/06/25 23:17:00 | Susan Kelly |
Re:28 Years Later | 20/06/25 13:31:00 | Michael Robinson |
Sinners | 20/06/25 13:40:00 | Michael Robinson |
The Last Journey (Swedish with subtitles) | 03/07/25 22:27:00 | Sara Nathan |
Hot Milk | 07/07/25 21:37:00 | Joe Conneely |
From Hilde With Love | 08/07/25 17:02:00 | Susan Kelly |