By John Corrado

★★★ (out of 4)

The new English-language short film from writer-director Pedro Almodóvar, Strange Way of Life is an enjoyable queer Western starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal that serves as the Spanish filmmaker’s “answer” to Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, which he was offered to direct but declined.

The short, which premiered at Cannes, follows Silva (Pascal), a gunslinger who rides across the desert to visit his old friend Jake (Hawke), now the town’s sheriff. It’s clear that the two men had something in the past, and they spend the night reconnecting after over two decades apart, but in the morning another aspect of their reunion is revealed.

The first half of the 31 minute short serves as exposition and buildup, with a surprisingly developed backstory between the characters. We get sizzling chemistry between the two leading men, with the back-and-forth dialogue between Hawke’s gruff Sheriff Jake and Pascal’s more sensitive Silva allowing them to suggest an inherent comfort with each other. The sexual tension between the two characters is felt, including in a sultry flashback involving a lot of wine being spilled that feels like classic Almodóvar and is one of the short’s defining moments.

Shot in Southern Spain by his usual cinematographer José Luis Alcaine, the short features the popping Almodóvar colours that we have come to expect from his features, as well as a nice Western-inspired score by his usual composer Alberto Iglesias. Made in association with Yves Saint Laurent, with their creative director Anthony Vaccarello serving as the costume designer, the colourful costumes (including Pascal’s green jacket) are another visually appealing aspect of the production.

The biggest “issue” if you will with Strange Way of Life is that it feels short (it’s playing in theatres with Almodóvar’s 2020 English-language short film The Human Voice starring Tilda Swinton to pad out the program), and I will say that the film leaves us wanting more. By the end of the thirty minute running time, it feels like we have just watched the first act of what could have a longer movie or series. But the note that Almodóvar chooses to end on is a fitting one that brings everything full circle, and perhaps the feeling of being left still wanting is intentional.

Strange Way of Life opens exclusively in theatres in limited release on October 6th, including at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto. It’s being distributed in Canada by Mongrel Media.