Speak Sunlight (2024) Film Review
Carol Polakoff’s Speak Sunlight (originally titled La Voz del Sol, which translates to The Voice of the Sun) is a very compelling drama that tells a universal story: What is the best you can do when you find out you’re about to die? Luckily, the film answers that with extreme simplicity, and a good portion of naivete. Of course, you deal with your life’s loose ends.
Maruja and Manolo are a couple in exile living in Paris. 30 years ago they left Spain due to the political situation, and now they serve a couple in their diplomatic mansion. Maruja considers Alanito, the son of the couple she works for, her son. More importantly, Alanito finds an ally in Maruja, and he expresses his frustration to her when necessary. They are extremely close, and when Maruja receives life-changing news, she only thinks of Alanito as her indispensable companion.
She doesn’t mention it to anybody. Not even her husband or Alanito. But Maruja has an illness, and all she wants is to return to her homeland one last time. Fortunately, she’s able to convince Alanito’s mom to let him come with the couple as they return to Spain during the time of Franco and the Civil War.
What follows is a saccharine version of a drama that already cuts many corners. Maruja’s story is a beautiful one for sure, but Polakoff does her best to refrain her character from facing any real challenge. For Alanito, it’s a coming-of-age story as he faces the hardships of a culture he knows nothing about, and also stares at death in the face in the film’s riskiest scene, that doesn’t feel very dangerous. Speak Sunlight is Hallmark-y, but it’s alright, because in the end, Maruja’s character sees her arc closed, and that’s the only thing that matters.
Veteran Carmen Machi is the light that shines above everything else in the film. Her performance is full of energy, and you can tell how she connects with the cause of her character very easily. Manolo, also in the hands of a veteran named Karra Elejalde, is portrayed as a basic man whose backstory is left untouched. Yes, there is trauma there, and it has to do with his political stance, but the film is oriented towards something else, and that’s Alanito’s lesson.
There’s a good film here. But you will find it if you let a couple of things slide. The pacing is a bit off, and some dialogue lines are clunky, but ultimately, Speak Sunlight arrives at its predictable ending. It wasn’t as dramatic as I would have expected as the film isn’t very realistic, but I see the director doing her best to give Maruja a peaceful conclusion: One with Alanito and Manolo by her side, and not much else.
Speak Sunlight is all about hugs, reunions and letting bygones be bygones. It’s about forgiving those that hurt you and reliving your best memories. The film doesn’t get dark, not even when it tries to depict darkness. This is exactly what Maruja deserves during her last days on Earth: peace, love, and her country welcoming her back.
