PENGUIN BLOOM (2021) FILM REVIEW

***

PG, 95 Mins

Naomi Watts shines in this lovely movie about a friendship between a paralyzed woman and a magpie.

‘Penguin Bloom’ (2021) is an uplifting story of human-animal friendship. It’s also a tough film about a woman living with a debilitating injury. Naomi Watts carries it along, though, with a powerhouse performance and the film must be championed for emphasising the importance of family, community and the human spirit in beating illness.

‘Penguin Bloom’ is based on a true story and a book of the same name by Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive. Eight years ago, Australian mum-of-three, Sam Bloom (Naomi Watts), fell 20 ft from a hotel’s observation deck while on holiday in Thailand. She fractured her skull in many places while her brain was bruised and both her lungs were ruptured. Her spine also shattered which left her partially paralyzed below her chest.

Back home in Australia, Sam, who was once an avid surfer, is struggling to adapt to life in a wheelchair. She is looked after by her loving husband, Cameron (Andrew Lincoln), and three sons Noah, Reuben and Oli - the first of whom blames himself for his mum’s injury. There’s also Sam’s overbearing mother Jan (Jacki Weaver).

One afternoon, the boys bring back home an injured magpie chick who they name Penguin because she can’t fly. Sam is initially disinterested in Penguin, but understands her importance to Noah. As time goes on, Sam bonds with her. After a few weeks, Penguin learns to fly which inspires Sam to do something she enjoys such as taking up kayaking lessons…

There are many tough scenes in this movie that really capture the debilitating nature of paralysis. For example, the fall scene where Sam breaks her back in Thailand. A scene where she smashes pictures on her wall in frustration at her situation. Also when Noah confronts her and confesses that he blames himself for taking mum up to that balcony where she fell.

The power of human-animal friendships has been a big part of movies and literature ever since Anna Sewell’s ‘Black Beauty’ and Jack London’s ‘The Call of the Wild’. It’s rare, however, maybe even a first in film, to see a story of a woman and a magpie rather than a horse, cat or dog. There’s some lovely scenes of Sam bonding with Penguin and it’s really beautiful that it’s Penguin who inspires Sam to take up kayaking lessons after learning to fly.

Director Glendyn Ivin thinks up a moving scene when Sam first learns to kayak and tips over the kayak and gets into the water on the recommendation of her hard-nosed, but lovely kayak instructor Gaye (Rachel House).

I’ve always thought Naomi Watts was a really good actress ever since her role in David Lynch’s ‘Mulholland Drive’ (2001), even in ‘King Kong’ (2005) and through to ‘Fair Game’ (2011). She really cuts to the heart of a beautiful, talented woman crippled by a debilitating accident yet finding love and happiness through the passions of a human-animal friendship. I certainly bought into her pain, frustration, but also humility throughout the runtime.

In terms of other performances, Andrew Lincoln is supportive and loving as husband Cameron, Jacki Weaver is thrillingly orthodox as conservative mum Jan and Rachel House gives a lovely performance as the tough-as-nails, but very nice kayak instructor Gaye.

There are bits that don’t work. Specifically a fight between Penguin and two other magpies. The CGI is really bad in this scene and there’s a general lack of threat.

But this movie thrives on the power of human and animal friendship and stresses the importance of family and community in beating misfortune. I think that’s a very good message for a film to be hitting home.

‘Penguin Bloom’ is on Netflix now.
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