PENGUIN BLOOM

 

Inspirational true stories come in many forms, some more obscure than others, and in Penguin Bloom I think I may have just seen the most bizarre yet heartwarming one out there. Based on an incredible true story, Penguin Bloom stars Naomi Watts as Sam Bloom, a woman who had the perfect life with her husband and three children until an accident while on holiday in Thailand caused her to become paralysed from the waist down.

Depressed and frustrated with the life she must now lead, Sam spends her days at home with Penguin, an injured Magpie chick her children brought home to look after. What starts as an irritant develops into a friendship that sees Sam face-up to her injury and reconnect with her family who she has pushed away.

Penguin Bloom may play it safe when it comes to its narrative for the most part but I'd be lying if I said that it doesn't offer a strong emotional connection to its audience. This mostly comes down to the inclusion of Penguin and the bond she forms with Sam in her new life, eight Magpies trained by Paul Mander brought in to fulfil the role and it's honestly one of the best performances I've seen from an animal in a film.

As little digital effects were to be used as possible so it's a real testament to the work of Mander, the birds and the filmmakers to get them embedded into the film so naturally. Penguin will make you laugh but also possibly bring a tear to your eye as she comforts Sam in her moments of need.

The narration from Griffin Murray-Johnston as Noah, the eldest Bloom child, is nothing we haven't seen before however, it offers another emotional angle to the story that lands quote a punch at one particular moment. In fact, there's a few low-key emotional moments scattered throughout that drive the film on and they never feel like becoming too melodramatic, which is a common trap for films like this.

Alongside Penguin, Naomi Watts is the star of the film and leads it with a fine performance, every emotion from frustration to relief felt through Watts' expressions and line delivery. There's plenty of range and experience amongst the supporting cast as well, Andrew Lincoln as Sam's husband Cameron and Jacki Weaver as her mum delivering solid performances while the trio of children impress with their turns.

Penguin Bloom isn't going to be a film contending for all of the awards, neither is it going to be a film that appeals to everyone however, if you give it a chance, you may just find yourself as engrossed as I was in this tale of friendship and bravery.

Verdict: ★★★½