David Schurmann’s “My Penguin Friend” is a refreshing alternative to the late summer movie lineup.
The adorable one sheet provides a hilarious contrast to the “Alien: Romulus” poster hanging next to it outside my local multiplex.
It stars the great Jean Reno as a Brazilian fisherman with a sad past (which we witness in an extended flashback that opens the film) who befriends an injured penguin whom he cares for and expects to never see again.
Over the course of eight years, the penguin travels thousands of miles and frequently stops to visit the kind fisherman who nursed him back to health. This is based on an actual occurrence and despite my plot description, it plays less maudlin than expected.
Schurmann’s film has a somber start and presents a tragic central event in a manner that is vague in its outcome, either to soften the story for its intended audience or the result of unclear editing. It takes a while for the emotional core to form, but this English language Brazilian film is always engaging and finds its way.
Once we get past the sad prologue, the film doesn’t skimp on the penguin footage.
There’s a moderately interesting subplot involving scientists that the penguin periodically visits, but the movie lives for the scenes between Reno and “Dindim” the penguin. A few moments are presented from Dindim’s POV, presenting a rare use of “penguin vision.”
While “My Penguin Friend” is what one would call “family friendly,” that’s not the same as being a “children’s film.” My five cents: if your child is old enough to enjoy “The Black Stallion” (1979), which also has intense moments and an emotional core, then this is another one to seek out.
This “true story” from 2016 is a small, sweet film. Its well-paced but still takes its time and is best for older kids. Don’t expect “Happy Feet” (2006), as there’s no CGI, dancing, farting animal shenanigan nonsense. For the record, cinema’s penguin peak remains “March of the Penguins” (2005).
The end footage shows the real fisherman and the penguin, which begs the obvious question – why didn’t the filmmakers just make a documentary? The easy, obvious response: we’d miss out on another great performance from Reno, who always made me believe the anguish and gentle heart of his character.
Reno soulfulness, a striking quality that made him standout in the earlier films of Luc Besson, continues here, in an unexpected but potent characterization. In a film career that spans over 40 years, I can recall dozens of instances where Reno was intimidating, charismatic and hypnotic to watch, sometimes all at once.
Reno’s latest film also reminds us of how assaying unexpected roles has been a part of his career, as much as playing Leon in “The Professional (1994), is perhaps his defining moment. It’s a joy to watch the same actor bring genuine gravitas and emotional heft to scenes with a penguin co-star.
Being a little movie during a season of especially loud and outsized blockbusters isn’t a bad thing. Neither is presenting a story about an adorable animal where the creature is real and not a CGI facsimile. As a reflection on how animals can provide comfort and healing in their mere presence, the joy in this film is unforced.
Two and a Half Stars
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