PENGUIN BLOOM : Wednesday 27th January 2021.

'PENGUIN BLOOM' is a PG Rated Australian film which I saw at my local independent movie theatre earlier this week, and is Directed by Glendyn Ivin in only his second feature film outing following 'Last Ride' in 2009, although he has directed a number of TV series and mini-series including 'Puberty Blues', 'Gallipoli', 'Safe Harbour' and 'The Cry' most recently. This family drama film is based on the 2016 book of the same name by Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive, saw its World Premier screening at TIFF back in September last year, and was released theatrically last week in Australia and in the US, UK, France and a number of Asian countries on 27th January on Netflix. The film has generated mixed or average Reviews, and taken US$2M at the Australian Box Office so far. 

The film opens up with the outdoorsy adventurous Bloom family enjoying a holiday in Thailand, with the oldest son Noah (Griffin Murray-Johnston) providing the voiceover narration saying that he and his two younger brothers wanted to go to Disneyland but instead their parents decided on Thailand instead - not that the boys weren't enjoying themselves traipsing through the jungle, enjoying the surf, the markets, the unusual foods, the evening fireworks and spending time with their fun loving outgoing parents. That is to say that 'everything was pretty much perfect, until last year happened' comments Noah. We see Noah and his Mum Sam (Naomi Watts, who also Co-Produces here) climb the steps up onto the rooftop of their hotel to take in the views, with Dad Cameron (Andrew Lincoln) trailing behind with his camera - he's a professional photographer. In an unguarded moment, Sam leans against a railing to pose for a photo and the wooden supports holding the railing in place give way causing Sam to fall to the ground two storeys below. 

We then fast forward several months to the family back home on Sydney's Northern Beaches where Sam is wheelchair bound having suffered severe damage to her spinal cord leaving her paralysed from the waist down. Sam is feeling sorry for herself (understandably), angry, frustrated and depressed - so much so that she spends much of her time in bed, with the curtains drawn blocking out the Australian sunshine and the sweeping views out across the ocean and to Barrenjoey Lighthouse in the middle distance. She longs to be the woman and the mother she once was - enjoying the surf and being in the water rather than being a burden on the whole family and practically unable to do anything for herself. 

Then one day while the young boys were out playing at their local beach Noah happens to come across a young Magpie chick that had fallen out of its nest from a tree high above, and had injured itself. Noah picks up the young chick and with his two younger brothers Rueben (Felix Cameron) and Oli (Abe Clifford-Barr) they take the injured bird back home. Cameron agrees to let it stay in the house and for the family to nurse it back to health, but Sam is much more reluctant seeing the Magpie as just another unnecessary distraction to add to the mounting chores and familial responsibilities now firmly resting on Cam's shoulders. Noah hits upon the name Penguin, because of its black and white markings, and so Penguin Bloom is welcomed into the family unit.

When the kids go off to school, and Dad is out on a photographic assignment, Sam is left home alone to fend for herself while Penguin becomes increasingly annoying cheeping and chirping craving attention and when it doesn't get it jumps out of its basket and parades around the house knocking over vases, pecking at a sock monkey, picking out the teabag from Sam's hot cuppa and leaving a trail of bird poop wherever she goes. However, as time progresses and the bird begins to heal and grow, so Sam's attitude to Penguin begins to change, as she begins to play a more active role in caring for the bird and nurturing it. Sam starts to see in Penguin a common connection and her mood changes for the better as a result, and often Penguin is the first one to alert the rest of the family when Sam is in difficulty or distressed. 

In the meantime, Sam's Mother Jan (Jacki Weaver) is on hand to help out with chores around the house and provide some light relief, but more often that not tends to nag at her daughter and son-in-law by providing good intentioned but useless advice rather than offer a sympathetic ear and an understanding point of view. One day Cameron comes home to find that Sam, who has had a particularly bad day, has smashed all the wall mounted photographs of her and her family that were a throwback of the outdoor pursuits she once enjoyed in her former able bodied life. After clearing up the mess Cam suggests that she should get into kayaking as a means to get back in the water and give her some focus. Sam initially dismisses the notion and berates her husband for even suggesting the idea. 

However, in time, she relents and agrees to give it a go. And so the family go down to kayak rental place and meet with instructor Gaye (Rachel House) the no nonsense instructor who takes Sam through her paces before announcing that she needs to capsize the kayak, and if she doesn't do it herself then she'll do it for her. Sam at first refuses point blank but when Gaye tells her that she still has her arms and her ability to breathe to keep her afloat, she relents and voluntarily capsizes the kayak. From that point forward there is no looking back.

One year on from her accident and on the occasion of Sam's birthday, Jan invites the family around for lunch. Gaye is in attendance with Sam's sister Kylie (Leeanna Walsman) and while Jan is nagging Sam and Cam, Penguin who also came around has walked out onto the balcony and has been attacked by two other very territorial Magpies. With the family shouting from the deck above at the birds in an attempt to stop their fighting, Cam rushes downstairs to disperse the birds and in doing so Penguin flies off. So begins a fruitless search. After several days, with still no sign of Penguin, Cam arranges for a makeshift chair to be constructed with which they will carry Sam up to the top of the Barrenjoey Lighthouse look out, using the brute strength of Gaye, Kylie, Cam and a former nursing colleague of Sams, Bron (Lisa Hensley) with Jan in tow. After a heartfelt reconnection between Sam and Cam in which she announces 'I'm back' they return home to the familiar chirping of Penguin who has also returned home for one final time to bid her fond farewells before flying the nest for good. 

'Penguin Bloom' is a feel good family orientated movie that tugs at the heartstrings and leave you with at least a lump in your throat or even a tear in your eye by the time the end credits roll, and we see those credits accompanied by stills taken by the real Cameron Bloom of the real Sam Bloom and their family and the ubiquitous Penguin. Naomi Watts delivers another first rate authentic performance as the initially broken woman and mother who clambers herself away from the edge of the abyss thanks to a Magpie whose performance almost matches her own (although to be fair there were several Magpies, a CGI version and an animatronic one used in the making of this film apparently), and the sweeping vistas of Sydney's Northern Beaches is also quite spectacular. Andrew Lincoln is solid enough, Jacki Weaver's talents are under utilised and Griffin Murray-Johnston as the eleven year old Noah is quite a revelation. Despite being just a tad predictable and sticking to the formula, this is a well crafted tale of over coming adversity and having faith in the loved ones around you to help and guide you through those difficult times. All credit must also go to the real Bloom family for allowing Glendyn Ivin such unrestricted access to their own home for the shoot and for allowing him to tell their emotional story with aplomb.

'Penguin Bloom' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-