"This film won't give you cold feet"
The big release this week is The Penguin Lessons, based on a true story and starring Steve Coogan as an English teacher in mid-70s war-torn Buenos Aires. Whilst Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw complains it's a "well-meaning, awkward tonal jumble of a movie", the Observer's Wendy Ides was a little more accommodating, saying it "just about strikes a balance between the fluffly sentimentality of the story and its hard-edged political backdrop".
I always take films on their own merits, hence my recent positive review of Disney's Snow White, against a tsunami of negativity. I thought Steve Coogan skilfully worked with an excellent script to deliver a nuanced, finely tuned performance that straddles the line between sarcastic one-liners and the film's more serious moments. Tom (Coogan's character) is highly cynical and not a lover of people, but the pint-sized penguin he rescues from an oil slick sees him as its saviour, and won't leave his side. The feathered friend plays a crucial role in becoming a sounding board for several of the movie's characters, not to mention proving to be a useful teaching aid. There's a book on which this story is based, and the penguin has a great screen presence.
I liked Tom's dawning realisation that he could no longer sit on the sidelines of the incendiary civil war being played out on the streets, and had no issues with the film's tone. I didn't really expect a detailed examination of 1970s Argentinian politics, and thought this was an enjoyable watch. I'm not sure I'll be swapping my cat Colin for Juan Salvador the penguin any time soon, though.
Also this week, I watched Bad Boys (1995) for the first time. It only took me thirty years! A decent buddy cop movie, and a lot of the action sequences have stood the test of time, although some of the more misogynistic humour perhaps hasn't. I'd imagine the re-released film has sold more tickets than Will Smith's new album, if reports are accurate.
The Gorge (Apple TV) is a muddled mix of sci-fi, horror and romance, that features two decent lead performances from Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy, but squanders its initially tense set-up and decends into silliness towards the final third of the film. Watchable but forgettable.
A mention for Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, which I stumbled upon on Easter Monday on ITV1. Always a scrumdidilyumptious delight from start to finish. And last but not least, The Outrun is a stirring, moving look at addiction and trying to get your life back on track, and Saorise Ronan is exceptional. The timeline shifts from past to present, and whilst it's a pretty tough watch at times, you're rooting for Rona to pull through and get her life back on track. I also quite fancy a trip to the Orkney Islands for some bracing, salty sea air, and to hopefully spot a rare corncrake. This is a film that will stay with you long after The Gorge has faded from the memory.
