Hate contest | The Penguin review
The lesson of spin-off shooting from the producers of The Penguin series could become a leading topic in many discussions of adaptations and continuations of adventures about superheroes and the villains who accompany them. The Penguin is a bold and surprising attempt to continue the adventures about Batman as a natural storyline successor to the events depicted in Matt Reeves’ film, The Batman. Anyone expecting a “cameo” in the form of Robert Pattinson as Gotham City’s extraordinary law guardian, may be in for a disappointment. On the other hand, the choices made by the filmmakers fully justify the focus on only one side of the coin (at least in the context of the one-way battle between good and evil).
The screenwriters of The Penguin are in a slow hurry. Artfully preparing the subsequent events for more and more surprising plot twists. One of the major advantages that can be seen in the series is the fact that the atmosphere of the DC Comics universe has been rendered perfectly. The Penguin offers all the shades of black and gray, while not resorting to cheap tricks and simple solutions. The creators do not complicate their own work and do not develop unnecessary threads, and expand the seemingly ordinary ones to satisfying limits, leaving no plot void in any of the more important characters storylines. It is impossible not to see that The Penguin fulfills its potential while at the same time giving a seed for further development of the universe of the “new” Batman universe.
Oswald “Oz” Cobb known as The Penguin is a calculating criminal operating in the shadows. The impossible for him does not exist, and patience should be considered his most important trait. Waiting for his chance for many years, facing endless insults step by step he repays the good for the bad. Of course, Oswald’s actions should not be glorified, but it is difficult to unequivocally judge any of the characters in the series. After all, we have before us an entry about anti-heroes, mentally ill sadists, and people for whom violence is the only solution to practically any situation. Despite this negative characterization of the group of main and side characters, they are such comprehensively written characters (and even better played!) that the series is excellent to watch.
Penguins are extremely resilient animals, famous for their ability to cope effortlessly in the most difficult weather and geographical conditions. Of course, the nickname of the title character has its genesis through a very peculiar way of movement, but nevertheless his tenacity and resilience is admirable. Played by Farell, the villain emerges from all the fallout like a phoenix reborn from the ashes. Living by the motto “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” the main character makes it his life goal to alienate all available potential competitors in the development of his criminal career. Neither the Falcone family (destabilized step by step by Oswald), nor the rival Maroni family (drawn like amateurs into the title character’s game), can stand up to the seemingly clumsy man that is the charming in his own way. Oswald Cobb is a grotesque and uncouth, but also a damn clever hoodlum and what was said earlier – his patience is astonishing. However, he wasn’t the only character who packs a punch with its story.
Sofia Falcone as the “co-lead” character is flawless. She drives out of balance and irritates not only the other characters, but also the audience. Coming from a large criminal family, Falcone, like Oz, has been deceived several times by those closest to her, and a carpet of logs has been strewn under her feet. One episode of the series was much more intensely devoted to Sofia’s story, and it is in those moments (mainly her stay in Arkham psychiatric hospital) that the character played by Cristin Milioti comes through herself. The acting display the actress has pulled off is stunning and will undoubtedly be remembered by audiences and critics for a long time. In addition to her, the acting ensemble included Rhenzy Feliz (as the right hand of the title character – Victor Aguilar), Mark Strong (retrospectively playing the role of Sofia’s father), Clancy Brown (the head of the Maroni family), Theo Rossi (a psychiatrist doctor) and the phenomenal Carmen Ejogo, who played a supporting third role (Eve Karlo) and perfectly commanded the extremely difficult task of playing the mistress of the “Penguin.” The series was directed by four specialists – Craig Zobel, Kevin Bray, Helen Shaver and Jennifer Getzinger. The mother of the project is Lauren LeFranc, who, overseeing the work of the entire team, made sure that from a simple story about revenge and the road to the top, a series of complex psychological portraits were created. Developed to the point of absurdity, the struggle of villains for influence at times creates an illusory phenomenon of duality.
We warmly invite you to the screenings of The Penguin as part of the Multiverse section, on December 8, 2024:
- 1:00 PM, cinema room 8, Kinoteka,
- 8:15 PM, cinema room 4, Kinoteka.
Marcin Telega