It’s been a long time since short films have received the amount of hype around their release as Pedro Almodovar‘s double-bill of Strange Way of Life (2023) and The Human Voice (2023). The celebrated Spanish filmmaker also collaborated with talents including Pedro Pascal, Ethan Hawke and Tilda Swinton, who amped up movie buffs’ anticipation tenfold (myself included). Now that I’ve seen both pictures at a Trustees Theatre screening, did they live up to the praise?
What is Strange Way of Life About?
This mini-western of sorts follows a cowboy named Silva (Pascal), who rides across the desert to visit his old friend and former partner, Jake (Hawke), who is now the Sheriff of a small town. Though they initially are celebratory and nostalgic about their reunion, tension emerges between the two men as news emerges about a crime involving Silva’s son Joe (George Steane), which Jake must avenge. As Silva tries to persuade his friend to spare his son’s life, Jake becomes equally adamant that they both not continue down memory lane, which leads to explosive consequences.
What Works and Doesn’t Work About It?
Strange Way of Life works best because of its direct, to-the-point simplicity in its storytelling. Almodovar knows just how much detail and subtext to inject into Jake and Silva’s conversations, without it feeling like an exposition dump. These guys really feel like they’ve known each other for years, which also owes itself to Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal‘s performances and chemistry. In addition, Jose Luis Alcaine‘s evocative cinematography captures that romantic quality of The Wild West that we’ve come to be so acquainted with, whilst also focusing mainly on the expressions of the characters. Honestly, the most poignant moments just revolve around Silva and Jake merely emoting, which hammers home exactly what they’re thinking and feeling so perfectly. That’s how you use the camera to tell a story.
In the end, I can’t think of anything I take issue with in Strange Way of Life. All of it just clicks together so beautifully. Visually, acting-wise, and directing-wise, I couldn’t have liked it more. Definitely check this one out as soon as you can.
What’s The Human Voice About, and What Does and Doesn’t Work About It?
In this adaptation of the Jean Cocteau play, Tilda Swinton plays a woman struggling to deal with a breakup. That’s it. This lends itself to some rather creative production design on part of Antxon Gomez and Maria Clara Notari. Utilizing very vivid, bright, contrast colors, the sets convey the full emotion of Swinton‘s protagonist so well it almost goes unnoticed. In addition, her home looks and feels almost like a diorama, like we’re this higher power watching her from above. Perhaps that’s fitting for a film based on a stage show, but it works, especially because it captures how this woman initially feels a loss of control over her life in the wake of this heartbreak.
Where this movie falters is its insistence on having Swinton discuss her entire relationship over the phone. I understand that it’s a one-woman show, but there could be more ways, visually, to get across the history of that now-extinct bond. Despite this actress’ best efforts, I never once felt the full impact as intended, because I was just receiving a lot of verbal exposition. Consequentially, the movie quickly lost my interest, and that’s why I have chosen to give it a C+.
Conclusion
I’d highly recommend seeing both of these films in theaters or via streaming as soon as you can, mainly to experience the distinctive vision of a terrific director, with three deservedly well-known performers embodying his protagonists. Both are exquisitely technically crafted, and tell familiar stories with an original perspective. In today’s franchise and IP-driven world, this is more than sufficient reason to rejoice.
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.