‘Strange Way of Life’
Pedro Almodóvar, Ethan Hawke, and Pedro Pascal: how could you possibly go wrong? Trick question, you can’t — and Strange Way of Life is proof of that. The short film has been described as Almodóvar’s answer to 2005’s Brokeback Mountain, but it comes in a bite-sized 31-minute package that’s relatively tame compared to both Brokeback and the director’s past work. So be warned: you’re not getting a full story with this short (the way that, say, Wes Anderson’s recent shorts feel more whole), but rather a slice of it — just two days in the lives of two gunslingers (Hawke and Pascal) with a 25-year history behind them and one flashback, to further establish that relationship. As Sheriff Jake and Silva, Hawke and Pascal have simmering chemistry that blossoms into something tender and deeply romantic as secrets come to light and ulterior motives are revealed.