Brazilian fisherman João Pereira de Souza (played by Jean Reno) becomes recluse after carrying the responsibility of his son’s death durnig a boating accident. Years later, while doing what he needs to do to provide for what’s left of his family, he helps a wayward penguin who’s been injured and covered in oil. He rehabilitates the penguin from Patagonia back to health and is surprised to find that a bonded has formed not unlike a domesticated animal and it’s owner. A young girl named Lucia (Duda Galvão) is fascinated with the penguin and asks João if it has a name. When the fisherman says no, she names him Dindim, Portuguese for “ice pop.” When word gets out about the curious relationship between this Brazilian fisherman and a Magellanic penguin João is reluctant to tell the story to the media. By pure happenstance, he finds a new purpose life for the first time since his son’s passing, all because of a penguin traveled 5,000 miles each year to see his human friend.
I have to be honest… I know I shouldn’t have but I judged this movie based on it’s title. I saw it was called MY PENGUIN FRIEND and assumed it was going to be an ambitious-less, cookie-cutter, borderline amateur attempt at an animal film.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Instead, Roadside Attractions and director David Schurmann bring us one of the best family movies of 2024. Reno is excellent as Souza and Adriana Barraza is perfect as the grieving mother/supportive wife. The audience thinks they’re being treated to a fun movie about a cute penguin when, really, they’re watching one man find his life’s purpose again after the loss of his son.
With a runtime of 97 minutes, MY PENGUIN FRIEND sits at a nice length for families. My only concern is it takes about 30 minutes to get off the ground and that could prove to be a problem for squirmy young ones in a theater. Once it does though, everyone will be captivated — for different reasons — and thankful they spent their time and money to see it.
While I wish they’d kept the original title of The Penguin & The Fisherman, this is easily my favorite International film of the year so far and right up there with IF as the best family film of 2024.
JKG SCORE: 7.5
Untitled Film Project 