The Expression Hub

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Starring: Naomi Watts, Andrew Lincoln, Griffin Murray-Johnston,Abe Clifford-Barr,Jacki Weaver, Rachel House, Leanna Walsman

Directed By: Glendyn Ivin

Genre: Drama/ Biographical

Life is all about riding the waves. Some days, we experience periods of joy, success and smooth sailing while on other days, it seems to be too turbulent in nature. But just like riding the waves require a combination of skill, balance and awareness, so does navigating the challenges of life especially when things are not in our favor. In short, life is not about avoiding challenges but is about learning to navigate the challenges with grace, resilience and a sense of adventure. This is the theme that we explore in this week’s pick.

Synopsis: Penguin Bloom chronicles the story of Sam Bloom, who is an avid surfer and a mother to three little boys. She suffers a tragic accident on a family vacation in Thailand which leaves her paralyzed from the chest below. This leaves her feeling depressed as she feels disconnected from her former active life as a surfer and as a mother.

However, as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining, the lives of the Blooms too changes unexpectedly when an injured magpie chick enters their lives. They name this magpie chick as Penguin. Penguin too has its own shares of helplessness which parallels Sam’s emotional hopelessness. But as time passes, magic begins to happen. What is that magic ? How does Penguin act as a catalyst in Sam’s life? Does she regain her strength back or does life open a new door for her ? That is what the rest of the movie tries to explore.

Scrutiny: The movie tries to use the symbolism of Penguin to mirror Sam’s journey from hopelessness to hope. The movie also showcases the helpness one faces especially after one gets struck by a disaster. The journey towards healing is not shown to be a miraculous one as most of the movies attempt to portray but rather a process which is difficult and messy as it is in real life.

The movie also highlights the fact of how family dynamics change when a person is struck by a disaster. It portrays the mixed feelings Sam’s children go as well as her own resentment due to her being helpless. Though, she has a great family, yet her helplessness makes her resent her family members . This is portrayed beautifully in the movie.

The cinematography also captures the stunning Australian coastal setting and the feeling of claustrophobia Sam experiences in her new limitations. As these scenes represent a struggle between her sense of confinement and her yearning for her former freedom.

The Sentiment: Penguin Bloom succeeds as both an intense family drama as well as a story of resilience. The reason for this is because it portrays the real, raw emotions of a woman who is trying to build a new identity after a trauma.

Naomi Watts delivers a remarkable performance along with Andrew Lincoln who tries to bring authenticity in his role as a steadfast but overwhelmed husband. The film doesn’t try to tie Sam’s worth to her achievements ; but rather tries to portray how adaptability to change can give a meaning to life. It reminds us that healing often comes in unexpected forms, and that finding a new path forward after loss doesn’t diminish what was lost, but rather builds upon it to create something equally meaningful, if entirely different

Quote-Unquote: “Sometimes the most broken things give us the greatest gift. The gift of showing us we can fly in a different way.”

Rating: ****

Que: What is the name of Sam’s son who rescues Penguin?

a. Peter

b. Gayle

c. Noah

d. Andrew