In 1936, in Madrid, a young man named Miguel Gila (Oscar Lasarte) lives a peaceful life with his grandparents (Adelfa Calvo, Ramón Ibarra) in a simple, humble attic. But the outbreak of the Civil War forced Miguel, along with his friend Pedro (Carlos Cuevas) , to fight. There, Gila tried to survive hardship, battles, execution, and prison thanks to his sense of humor.
¨¿ Es el enemigo ? La pelicula de Gila¨ results to be the surprising story of Gila's youth, the dramatic origin of his unique sense of humor, and his talent for transforming misfortunes into graceful and engaging humor. Director Alexis Morante pays homage to the great Miguel Gila, tracing Gila's early years during the Spanish Civil War. Focusing on the outbreak of the Civil War, it will change his destiny. Gila, reluctantly and involved into a turbulent Spain, was forced to join the Republican side. Therefore, the film shows us a series of unfortunate events, including the extreme hunger suffered by the soldiers, war wounds, the death of fellow soldiers, imprisonment, and a failed execution, which Gila always spoke of.
The film is based on his autobiography : being inspired by the book entitled ¨Antología cómica de obra y vida" by Miguel Gila himself. Its director, Alexis Morante, explains: "The seed of the film is his memoirs. When you read them, you realize how much he suffered in the war. And when you see how he turned this tragedy into humor, that's when you realize he was a unique character."
The interpretations are quite decent, although I personally didn't quite understand what they were saying, perhaps because of what Carlos Saura said, that young actors don't know how to vocalize perfectly. I tried to help myself with the television subtitles, but unfortunately, they didn't have any. Along with the unknown main actors, Oscar Lasarte and Carlos Cuevas, there is a good cast of already experienced performers, among which the following stand out: Natalia de Molina, Salva Reina, Adelfa Calvo and Vicente Romero.
The motion picture was professionally directed by Alexis Morante. He is a director and producer, an expert in documentaries, being especially known for Camarón: Flamenco y Revolución (2018), Bla Bla Bla (2015), Voltereta (2010) and El universo de Óliver (2022). Rating: 6/10. Acceptable and passable film, especially recommended for fans of Miguel Gila .
Adding some remarks about his Gila's life: Miguel Gila Cuesta (12 March 1919 - 13 July 2001) was a Spanish comedian and actor. He appeared in 27 films and television shows between 1954 and 1993, and became famous in Spain and Latin America with his comic monologues. He starred in the film ¡Viva lo imposible!, which was entered into the 8th Berlin International Film Festival. He previously spent some time incarcerated in Valsequillo (until May 1939) and Zamora concentration camps,and later in Madrid prisons like Yeserías, Santa Rita, Carabanchel and, finally, Torrijos, because of having joined the defeated side in the Spanish Civil War.
