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Sometimes, after suffering a great loss or some other trauma, the help and healing that we need can come when and where we least expect it. And the family drama My Penguin Friend explores a surprising friendship that helps a grieving father work through his loss.
My Penguin Friend tells the true story of Joao (Jean Reno), a quiet fisherman from a village in Brazil, who’s been mourning the loss of his son for decades. One day, while he’s out at sea, he discovers a penguin that’s in need of his help, so he takes him home and nurses him back to health—much to this dismay of his wife, Maria (Adriana Barraza). Each year, the penguin leaves and returns to his colony—but he always ends up back in Brazil, where he’s become a beloved part of the community.
From the moment these two unlikely friends meet, audiences will fall in love with them. There’s something adorable about the way that this heartbroken fisherman opens himself up to caring for this little lost penguin—and how the penguin instantly becomes attached to his new friend and caretaker. Their unexpected relationship is sweet and heartwarming—and sometimes amusing, too—and it brings about a surprising transformation for this once quiet and solitary man, who’d cut himself off from the rest of the community in his grief.
Admittedly, though, there isn’t a lot of action and drama to the story—and it sometimes feels like the filmmakers struggled to fill the runtime. At times, the film meanders off to check in with a team of researchers who are studying the penguins in Patagonia, where they nest for half of the year. And though they’re clearly a part of the penguin’s story, their scenes often feel awkward and out of place in this otherwise charming story.
At the same time, though, these characters do help to break up what can sometimes be oppressively heavy drama. From the opening scenes, depicting Joao’s son’s tragic death, to Joao’s moving breakdown, there are a lot of emotional moments—and that may make it upsetting for younger viewers.
The sweet friendship between the fisherman and the penguin makes My Penguin Friend a cute drama. Kids will instantly fall in love with Joao’s feathered friend. Bu the heavy drama and the meandering storytelling may make viewers lose interest somewhere in the middle.
You can befriend Joao and DinDim the penguin when My Penguin Friend arrives in theaters on August 16, 2024.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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