Penguin Bloom movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Penguin Bloom

Releases January 27, 2021

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 1 hour 35 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B

IN A NUTSHELL:

Directed by Glendyn Ivin, this dramatic story is based on a true story about Sam Bloom who experienced a freak accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. If you want to learn more of the details after watching the movie, check out the book written by Cameron Bloom:
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A lot of people will be able to relate to one of the characters who declares in the beginning of the movie, “I hate last year.” Ha ha The title of the movie gets its name from an injured Magpie that a family cares for and thinks looks like a penguin because it’s black and white. Several birds were actually used to play the one magpie. It’s a story of hope and healing.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

I was worried that the film showed a topless girl until I realized the actor was just a boy with long hair. Ha ha
You see the backside of a naked woman sitting on a chair in the shower.
An older woman calls handicapped people “spastic.”
Most kids will be bored. So will be some adults.

THEMES:

What could have been
Hope
Family
Persistence
The human spirit
The healing power of nature and animals
Life can change in an instant

THINGS I LIKED:

Naomi Watts is excellent in everything she does. She always lends a sense of grace to every performance. She even helped to produce this film. She needs to stop vacationing in Thailand though…..Have you seen her movie The Impossible? It’s another true story that will inspire you.
It’s good to see that Andrew Lincoln has recovered from years of being attacked by zombies in the huge TV hit The Walking Dead: Season 1. This is his first movie since the popular TV show. He said in a recent interview that he was very taken with the script after only reading a few pages of it and knew he wanted to be a part of the movie. The on-set photographer was actually the person he was playing in the movie!
By the way, both Naomi Watts and Andrew Lincoln sounded authentically Australian with their accents. (That’s an opinion from an American!)
I love that the movie is told from a child’s perspective.
How awesome to live so close to the ocean. I used to live in Carlsbad, California, and could see the ocean from my house but I still had to drive to get to the beach. Not once did I ever complain when the kids tracked sand onto our Travertine tile floor because I felt like I was on a permanent vacation!
If you like Rachel House in this movie, you’ll get a kick out of her performance in Hunt for the Wilderpeople currently playing on Netflix.
I loved the camera angles that disorient you, as well as the times that scenes are replayed from different angles and perspectives.
There are some very touching moments that got me choked up.
The Magpie is absolutely adorable, especially when it carries its stuffed animal around. You’re going to want to rescue a bird too, just like the family in the story did. Using a wounded bird to symbolize Sam’s physical and emotional recovery is simple to understand, albeit expected.
Not only is the movie about a true story, but they filmed it in the actual home of the Bloom family!
As a mother, I could absolutely relate to the pain Sam must have felt in her heart when her kids started calling out for their father rather than for her. Mothers want to nurture. It’s instinct, so when something prevents you from being there for your children, it’s absolutely heartbreaking.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Some audiences will be bored that nothing much happens.
It’s a slow burn which makes the movie feel longer than it is.
It’s extremely predictable and nothing we haven’t seen before, yet still inspiring.
Sometimes, people tell what they’re showing more than simply show us.
The audience is told “the rest of the story” at the end of the movie. It would have been nice to see some of those things hinted at more in the movie.

INTERESTING LINES:

“Mom’s not the person she used to be and I know she’s not the person she wanted to be, but to me, she’s much more than that.” – Rueben Bloom (Felix Cameron)

OTHER MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

If you’re dying to see more of Naomi Watts, check out her most recent movie and my review of called BOSS LEVEL.

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