“As often as the word ‘metaphor’ is used, there isn’t one between highlights the rise of the military and their evil ways to the rescue of a penguin. There is an obvious one between Michelle’s redemption and rediscovery of his soul without ignoring what is going on around
them”
Con Nats
4 Sardines
True life can throw up extraordinary stories about the ordinary such as Tom Michelle’s story of teaching in Argentina during the military coup by Pinochet. And being befriended by Juan Salvador the penguin. (And haven’t they been in the news lately!)
Disenfranchised English teacher Michelle (Tom Coogan) takes up a post at St George’s College for rich kids in Argentina. During the coup he takes a holiday in Uruguay where he looks after an oiled penguin to impress a lady he meets. She leaves him frustrated and
responsible for a penguin he doesn’t care for and despite his best efforts to lose it he somehow gets it back into Argentina.
Juan Salvador (the Penguin) starts to charm everyone from the cleaners, Maria (veteran Vivian El Jaber), her granddaughter Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio) to the students the staff, including the headmaster (Johnathan Pryce). After Michelle witnesses the arrest of Sofia his guilt starts to rise and his heart starts to thaw. His classes skirt around the issues of freedom and he uses Juan Salvador to capture his student’s floundering attention. And he teaches them the meaning of a metaphor with a touch of Dead Poets about it.
Coogan is illuminating as Michelle. He can play the indifferent Englishman with ease. It’s the shift to a caring human that is more difficult, and he hits the right spots without overplaying it and he knows how to underplay comedy. Johnathan Pryce as the headmaster avoids being a caricature through his acting ability. Ironically, he’s played the Argentinian Pope and President Peron, so he’s almost an honorary Argentinian.
El Jaber as Maria, the feisty cleaner, is excellent, and she gives the political backdrop its gravitas. Bjorn Gustafsson as the comical Physic teacher is good fun. In fact, there isn’t a weak link amongst the cast, down to the bullied student , Diego (David Herrero) and Carrocio as Sofia. And Juan Salvador is a real charmer and scene stealer, without uttering a word.
Jeff Pope’s adaptation of Tom Michelle’s book turns this into a film of two halves. It starts off as a charming comedy about a charmless man stuck with a penguin and a bunch of spoilt kids. Once the kidnapping of Sofia takes place, it shifts into drama. This wasn’t in the book, but Michelle was there during the “Dirty War”.
The heavy backdrop of a ruthless junta who made 30,000 disappear makes it impossible to call this film ‘delightful’. It cloaks its heavy heart beneath the wings of a placid penguin which allows the drama to sneak up on you and grab at the heart strings.
Its powerful but I can also understand if an Argentinian finds the use of this horrendous era as a dramatic device offensive. But the shift in tone, does make its point without being overtly political for those of us on the outside. (I can sympathise after the god-awful Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.) It’s a subtle way to make a political point without soap boxing. Director Peter Cattaneo directed The Full Monty, so he knows how to combine comedy and social comment ie gently.
As often as the word ‘metaphor’ is used, there isn’t one between highlights the rise of the military and their evil ways to the rescue of a penguin. There is an obvious one between Michelle’s redemption and rediscovery of his soul without ignoring what is going on around
them.
It avoids a convenient ending and makes its points with a bitter smile and a warm heart. This is well worth taking the dip.
4 Sardines
Con Nats, On The Screen
