May I Speak with the Enemy? (¿Es el enemigo?) - HSBC Spanish Film Festival 2025

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https://spanishfilmfestival.com/films/spa25-may-i-speak-with-the-enemy

Date Reviewed: 16/06/2025

Watching May I Speak with the Enemy? (¿Es el enemigo?) feels like stepping into someone’s most fragile memories, tender, funny, and deeply human. It’s not just a war film or a biopic; it’s a love letter to resilience, told through the life of Spanish comedian Miguel Gila. Directed by Alexis Morante, this Spanish-Portuguese production follows young Miguel, played with remarkable depth by Óscar Lasarte, as his quiet life with his grandparents is shattered by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. What moved me the most is how the film uses Gila’s humour not just as entertainment, but as survival and a lifeline to hope.

Certain moments linger long after the credits roll: Miguel at the cinema with his grandmother, his grandfather’s steady presence, and his fierce loyalty to his best friend, Pedro. His grandfather’s quiet strength anchors the family amid grief, while his grandmother gentle yet persistent, reminds him of his father’s absence, her fading memory from Alzheimer’s adding a bittersweet poignancy. This delicate balance of loss and resilience shapes Miguel’s courage, his stubborn optimism, and his ability to transform sorrow into laughter.

The war scenes are understated, which only amplifies their impact. The film avoids gratuitous violence, instead highlighting everyday acts of bravery: jokes in the trenches, the way Miguel makes others laugh even as he’s breaking inside. The humour never feels forced; it’s woven into the story like a defence mechanism, truth hiding behind laughter.

This film isn’t flashy, and it doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. But it reaffirms that humour can flourish in the darkest places. It’s more than a war story; it’s about what war does to those left standing, the quiet strength of a grandmother holding her family together, the innocent courage of a boy following his best friend into chaos, and the strange, beautiful alchemy that turns humour into a survival instinct. Miguel’s journey isn’t one of glory, but of endurance. What stayed with me is how he carries his pain with laughter, not to hide it, but to soften it. The film reminds us that even in the bleakest times, humanity flickers in small moments: a joke, a promise to return, the warmth of childhood memories. The war is merely the backdrop; what matters is the love, loss, and laughter in between.

If you’ve ever found strength in family, friendship, or the ability to smile through pain, this film will resonate deeply. Óscar Lasarte doesn’t just act the role; he becomes Miguel. You see the fear, the stubborn optimism, and the quiet way he turns grief into something luminous.

Reviewed by Adrianna Janice