Penguin Bloom (2021)

A lovely family movie with a straightforward, inspiring, uplifting story. Based on the true story of Sam Bloom who was paralysed from the chest down following a fall from the roof of a building when holidaying in Italy with her family. Naomi Watts, who plays Sam, brings her experience as an actor to the story along with, of course, the trainer of the magpies who starred in the movie (ten of them!). Watts does a great job of portraying the physical and emotional impact of paralysis and there are some heart-rending scenes where she struggles with her new life along with her husband and children. The kids in the movie do a great job of playing authentic children, especially the one who introduces Penguin to the family. The film is beautifully photographed and the magpies, who play Penguin, are brilliant. They steal the show every time they are on screen. My one criticism of PENGUIN BLOOM is that it doesn’t tell us enough about the past and present of Sam Bloom, leaving that to a few facts at the end of the movie. While this is, in my view, a family film, it does have a few themes that might be difficult for young children, so parents may want to see it first before watching it with their younger kids. PENGUIN BLOOM, based on the book of the same name, is an old-fashioned movie and avoids sentimentalism and sappiness. Delightful.