THE PENGUIN LESSONS @ 1:30pm & 4:30pm
For an idea of how this gentle true-life tale unfolds, imagine “Dead Poet’s Society” only with a penguin in a co-starring role. Steve Coogan gracefully portrays an English teacher attempting to get his young charges at a private academy in Buenos Aires to grasp the subtleties of poetry – a task made more difficult considering these scions of privilege and wealth live under the cloud of Argentina’s repressive 1976 right-wing dictatorship. When an adorable penguin attaches itself to the teacher, he sees how his unusual pet can help open his students’ eyes. There is an authentic feel to this story, which doesn’t shy away from the kidnapping of innocent people off city streets, and the fear it engenders. But as Peter Cattaneo pulled off in “The Full Monty,” the director never loses sight of his latest film’s beating heart. “The Penguin Lessons” soars alongside its title character.
