In a pivotal moment in Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film, Strange Way of Life, Pedro Pascal’s outlaw character, Silva, whispers a reminder to Ethan Hawke’s Sheriff Jake about a conversation they shared 25 years prior. This moment serves as the heart of the film, a queer Western short that explores the rekindling of a former romance amidst impending conflict. Almodóvar, who once turned down the opportunity to direct Brokeback Mountain, delivers a cinematic response that may not match the emotional heights of that iconic film, but showcases his passion for capturing raw, unbridled love between two men.
Hawke’s nuanced performance as Jake shines in the film, elevating it with his depth and complexity. The actor effortlessly straddles the line between Hollywood mainstream and arthouse cinema, delivering a career-defining portrayal in a Spanish production disguised as a classic Western. Despite the film’s imperfections and uneven pacing, Hawke’s performance anchors the story and resonates with viewers on a profound level.
Almodóvar skillfully creates a rich, intimate world for Jake and Silva, using sparse dialogue and lingering shots to convey the weight of their unspoken history. While the film struggles to fully explore the depth of their emotions within its short runtime, Hawke and Pascal’s on-screen chemistry breathes life into their characters’ shared past and present struggles. The film’s flashback scenes, featuring younger actors in the roles of Jake and Silva, inject a sense of youthful passion and longing into the narrative, contrasting with the older men’s current state of regret and yearning.
Despite its limitations, Strange Way of Life offers a poignant exploration of love, regret, and the passage of time. Almodóvar’s signature style infuses the film with a sense of melancholy and nostalgia, while Hawke and Pascal’s performances elevate the story to a moving and memorable experience.