Film Review: STRANGE WAY OF LIFE (2023): Pedro Almodóvar Once Again Brings Complexity to His Characters in a New Short Film

Strange Way of Life Review

Strange Way of Life (2023) Film Review, a short movie written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Ethan Hawke, Pedro Pascal, Jose Condessa, Manu Rios, Jason Fernandez, Sara Salamo, George Steane, Pedro Casablanc, Daniel Rived and Vasileios Papatheocharis.

Pedro Almodóvar has directed a short film with terrific style and precision through his latest gem, Strange Way of Life. This film only runs about a half an hour in length but it has amazing costumes, art direction and acting that keep the intensity of the themes found in the movie totally intact. A Western about two queer men could have been a risky proposition in a short movie format such as this one but Almodóvar manages to make it a tense battle of emotions between two male lovers who are genuinely emotionally scarred but have motives that drive the plot of the new short picture forward.

In Almodóvar’s English language short film, Ethan Hawke plays Sheriff Jake who is surprised when a man from his past named Silva (Pedro Pascal) rides into town. Jake knows that someone has been killed and vows vengeance while all this is happening. However (to come off that topic for a second), after about two and a half decades of being apart, Jake and Silva quickly warm up to one another in a surprising fashion. Although Jake has some questions as to why Silva has been distant, the two men proceed to engage in a steamy encounter.

It is revealed Silva’s son, Joe (George Steane), plays a pivotal part in the action. There is a standoff between these characters and one of our main players is shot. This complicates the matter and makes the audience wonder what the one man’s motive is for shooting the other. By film’s end, revelations will be made and genuine feelings will come into view that help shape the characters and their desires.

Ethan Hawke is fantastic as the no-nonsense sheriff who is forced to confront his past when Silva shows up. Pascal is equally effective as the lover whose true motivations are questionable. One thing is for certain, though, Silva has some kind of agenda, whatever it may be. Perhaps, he’s trying to kill two birds with one stone by riding into town or maybe, he has just one thing on his mind. What’s that one thing, though? Is it his love for Jake or something more complex?

The fact that the movie is so delicate works in its favor. Hawke’s fierce role in the picture is matched by Pascal’s intimate portrayal of his complex character. Jake has some expectations but is ultimately left to wonder if Silva’s actions are carried out through feelings of love or through some other kinds of emotions, perhaps emotions much different than what appear on the surface.

Almodóvar stages his drama in an energetic fashion. The look of the film is superlative. This is a well-imagined Western with a lot of heart and action jam-packed into its brief half-hour running time. It’s rare for the filmmaker to be so “to the point” and matter-of-fact-like as he is through his direction of this movie. His other movies have had large labyrinths of plots and this time, the director offers complexity through simplicity rather than going for more deep explanations to define the characters’ motives.

It’s not that the characters aren’t complex. They are. It’s just that narrowing the film’s premise into a short film format makes it a lot easier to digest. The themes are more visible on the surface than they may have been in a feature. Hawke is the glue that holds it all together with his tough-as-nails character questioning, within, what it means to think with his heart. Pascal matches Hawke’s turn with some of the best acting Pascal has done so far to date

As Strange Way of Life makes its way to its climax and, eventually, its ending, one thing’s for certain. This film will draw the viewer in from beginning to end. A scene where characters become immersed in wine is sublime and one of the darker moments of a film which otherwise feels conventional in the best way possible until the ending reveals a certain level of unpredictability that makes the short picture rise up as a very distinguished accomplishment.

See Strange Way of Life for two out-of-this-world performances. Hawke and Pascal have tremendous energy that helps drive every scene of Almodóvar’s brief, but substantial, contribution to this year’s world of cinema. It’s a remarkably unique achievement even if some of the movie feels occasionally too slight for its own good. The performers create any substance lacking in the plot through their performances. In the end, viewers will love analyzing the powerful ending of this compelling drama.

Rating: 8/10

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