I don’t know if penguins are the most popular animal, but I imagine they’re up there, following household pets like cats and dogs. In 2005, “March of the Penguins” was a massive commercial success, something that rarely happens for documentaries, and there is no shortage of funny videos featuring these odd little birds. I expect the appeal of the penguin, combined with his love for Brazil, to be what led director David Schurmann to create the film “My Penguin Friend,” which is based on a true story.
When João (Jean Reno) discovers a lost, oil-covered penguin, he brings it home despite his wife Maria’s (Adriana Barazza) protestations. The two form a bond, traveling around their small Brazilian fishing town until a young girl gives the penguin the name DinDim. One day, DinDim is gone, returning to his home at a penguin reserve thousands of miles away in Argentina. The team there puts a tracker on DinDim, only to watch him make the journey to Brazil yet again the following year. When some researchers want to cage DinDim to study his interactions with penguins and people, the team tries to explain that he must be allowed to be free. Meanwhile, João and Maria simply wait for DinDim to return, bringing with him joy and friendship.
Schurmann has a background in documentary filmmaking and that is evident in this movie, which includes some stunning shots throughout. The landscape of Brazil and Argentina are allowed to shine. Unfortunately, screenwriters Kristen Lazarian and Paulina Lagudi Ulrich just don’t have a lot of story to work with, so the film, while charming, struggles to provide much of a narrative beyond the simple story of a friendship between a man and a penguin.
The only real standout performance in this film is Reno as João. He imbues the character with a deep sense of pathos from a tragedy that befalls him as a young boy. The audience understands his difficulty connecting with people and why he forms this bond with DinDim.
This movie touches on some environmental themes but never fully develops them. It touches on some themes of loss and grief but never fully develops those either. It tries to create some tension, but the stakes never feel particularly high, so that, too, falls short. The overbearing score from Fernando Velázquez doesn’t help.
But in spite of a thin story, this charming tale about a friendship between a man and a penguin shows that sometimes opening our hearts to a creature in need can allow us to open to others. João’s most enduring relationships are with his wife and DinDim, but by the end of the film, we see him building relationships with people in his community. And perhaps that’s the real enduring lesson of “My Penguin Friend.”
Alise Chaffins is a Morgantown writer who loves movies and sharing her opinions. She reviews a movie from a streaming service every Saturday and one newly in theaters every Sunday. Find more at MacGuffin or Meaning on Substack.
