1965, a couple takes the teenager of their bosses who they’ve helped raised to Spain so he can learn more about them.
Written by Natxo López, John Milarky, and Carol Polakoff with Polakoff directing as well, Speak Sunlight is an interesting drama about life, regrets, growing up, growing as a person, legacy, and life in general. Based on the life and memoir of Alan Jolis, the film takes a familiar story and common themes to turn into a drama that will keep the attention of those who love period pieces, memoirs, and stories of redemption. The film here is one that comes off unassuming yet is filled with lessons and so much more. The story seems simple, but it really is layered and worth digging into. The characters here are all flawed, some more than others, and they make the most of their time on this Earth while knowing the end is getting closer for them, giving all the characters, besides Jolis himself, stakes and goals to become better before their time comes. The characters here are well-written, some of them with flaws bigger than others while getting most of the screen time. Yes, there are some flaws here some will find absolutely despicable but there is a redeeming arc. The film just takes its time to get there.
The cast here is good with Carmen Machi shining as Maruja. While the film may be supposed to be about Alan, or Alanito, here, she’s the real central character. Her work here is good, nuanced, and natural (with a few odd or off scenes here and there). Joining her as Alan is Matteo Artuñedo who does well and brings a refreshing innocence to the proceedings. Playing Manolo, Maruja’s husband, is Karra Elejalde who gives a performance that balances that of Machi and gives the film a better-rounded central group.
A sort of star of the film is Spain, Pamplona more specifically, where the film takes place for most of the runtime, and which is showcases extensively throughout the film with a lens for the 1960s. The cinematography by José Luis Alcaine frames this picturesque location just right, giving the different spots around town shown just the right spotlight. The use of a lot of natural (or natural looking) light is greatly appreciated here. The editing by Teresa Font allows these images to be seen, to breath, to shine. Her work shows that a solid edit can gives a good location even more beauty by allowing it to just be for a few moments.
Speak Sunlight is a solid drama about a writer and his family, blood relatives and others, seen through his eyes and focusing mainly on the woman who raised him as her own son. Carmen Machi as Maruja and the cinematography shine here, making the film their own and making a watch that is oddly fascinating and mesmerizing.