Almodóvar’s “gay wboy” short film stars two betiful men (Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pasl), featur betiful hors, and is shot a way that is jt so… betiful.
Contents:
- PEDRO PASL AND ETHAN HAWKE’S GAY COWBOYS TAKE CANNIN PEDRO ALMODóVAR’S SHORT FILM STRANGE WAY OF LIFE, THE PAIR LEAVE WANTG MORE.BY RICHARD LAWSONMAY 17, 2023COURTY OF CANN FILM FTIVALSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHE PROMISE OF A GAY WTERN STARRG PEDRO PASL AND ETHAN HAWKE AND DIRECTED BY PEDRO ALMODóVAR PROVED TO BE TNIP TO CANN DIENC WHEN THE SHORT FILM STRANGE WAY OF LIFE PREMIERED AT THE FTIVAL WEDNDAY. NOT EVEN A STEADY RA KEPT THE CROWDS AWAY—SPE HAVG TO WA LE, GETTG DRENCHED, FOR CLOSE TO AN HOUR. WHEN ALMODóVAR TOOK THE STAGE TO TRODUCE THE FILM—ONE OF HIS FEW FORAYS TO ENGLISH-LANGUAGE CEMA—HE WAS JOED BY HAWKE AND A QUARTET OF HUNKY ACTORS (AMONG THEM MANU RS, OM THE H SPANISH TEEN SOAP ELE). IT ALL SEEMED TO SET THE STAGE FOR SOMETHG VIVID AND SENSUAL THE STYLE OF SO MANY OTHER ALMODóVAR FILMS. AND WAS BORNE OUT, ALBE LIMED WAYS, THE ACTUAL FILM. HAWKE PLAYS A SMALL-TOWN SHERIFF, JAKE, WHO IS VTIGATG THE MURR OF HIS SISTER--LAW AT THE HANDS OF HER LOVER. PASL IS SILVA, AN OLD IEND OF JAKE’S WHO RIS TO TOWN FOR SHADOWY PURPOS. AT LEAST PART OF HIS TENTN IS ROMANTIC: JAKE AND SILVA HAD A TWO-MONTH FLG MEXI SOME 25 YEARS PREV, A BRIEF AND WONRFUL GIVG- TO FORBIDN SIRE THAT SEEMS TO HAVE HNTED THE TWO MEN EVER SCE. SILVAN WANTS TO PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF, WHILE JAKE HALFHEARTEDLY RISTS. IN THAT SENSE, STRANGE WAY OF LIFE IS A MELODRAMA, WH LOTS OF HEAVY TALK ABOUT THE SWEET, EROTIC GLEAM OF THE PAST AND ALL THE BTER PROMIS OF THE PRENT. HAWKE AND PASL FD THE RIGHT TONE TO HANDLE ALL THIS FLORID EMOTG, WH ALMODóVAR MOSTLY GETTG OUT THEIR WAY. THOUGH HE DO LET ALBERTO IGLIAS’S SWELLG SRE SH AT THE LOVELORN PAIR, A DASH OF OLD HOLLYWOOD FLARE AT ONCE MOURNFUL AND SWOONG. THERE IS EVENTUALLY A SHOOTOUT, OF SORTS, BUT ’S NOT PLAYED FOR FUN. AND ’S ULTIMATELY SERVICE OF A POIGNANT NCLN. STRANGE WAY OF LIFE CUTS THROUGH S GRIZZLE TO ARRIVE AT SOMETHG SOFT AND SENTIMENTAL, A VISN OF HOW JAKE AND SILVA ULD HAVE BEEN HAD THEY ALLOWED PASSN TO W OUT OVER NVENTN AND THE HARSH STRICTUR OF LIFE THE OLD WORLD. THERE IS A SMALL B OF SEXY STUFF TOO, PARTICULARLY A DREAMY AND WE-SOAKED FLASHBACK TO WHAT WAS PERHAPS THE BEGNG OF JAKE AND SILVA’S FIRST RNAL RELEASE. IT’S BRIEF, JT LIKE THE SEXUAL EPIPHANY FLASHBACK ALMODóVAR’S PA AND GLORY. ALSO HELPG RAISE THE VAPORS LEVEL ARE THOSE HANDSOME SPANISH FELLOWS, WHO ARE BARELY THE FILM BUT ADD TO THE FILM’S HEADY, HOT-AND-BOTHERED AIR NOHELS.IT’S A KICK TO SEE ALMODóVAR’S GAY GAZE APPLIED TO A WTERN, THOUGH AT ONLY 31 MUT, THE FILM LEAV WANTG QUE A LOT MORE. ONE HOP THAT THIS MIGHT BE A MERE MO REEL FOR A FULL FEATURE FILM; ALMODóVAR HAS SAID HE IS GAG NFINCE DIRECTG ENGLISH, SO PERHAPS HE MIGHT FEEL READY TO PURSUE A MORE SUBSTANTIAL STORY WH PASL AND HAWK. THERE’S MORE TO BE EXPLORED HERE, MORE NVENTNS OF THE WTERN TO BE TURNED ON THEIR HEADS—OR, RATHER, EXPAND TO CLU NEW NARRATIV. WH STRANGE WAY OF LIFE, ALMODóVAR, SUCH A FULL-THROATED AND SGULAR FILMMAKER, PROV JT THE RIGHT MAN TO LEAD THAT REVOLUTNARY CHARGE.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYIS THIS THE BEGNG OF THE END OF THE WRERS STRIKE?BY NATALIE JARVEYRICHARD LAWSON
- SO ABOUT THAT GAY COWBOY MOVIE STARRG PEDRO PASL AND ETHAN HAWKE…
- WHAT’S AT CANN? SRSE, A GAY WTERN, AND CATE BLANCHETT AS A RENEGA NUN.
- INTERNATNAL GAY CEMA: 33 LGBTQ MOVI TO SEE OM AROUND THE WORLD
- THE PEDRO ALMODóVAR GAY COWBOY MOVIE AT CANN IS JT SO HOTWILD WESTALMODóVAR’S “GAY WBOY” SHORT FILM STARS TWO BETIFUL MEN (ETHAN HAWKE AND PEDRO PASL), FEATUR BETIFUL HORS, AND IS SHOT A WAY THAT IS JT SO… BETIFUL.ESTHER ZUCKERMANUPDATED MAY 19, 2023 3:39AM EDT / PUBLISHED MAY 17, 2023 11:38AM EDT PATHE UKCANNES, FRANCE—THE FIRST THG YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEDRO ALMODóVAR’S NEW GAY WBOY SHORT FILM STRANGE WAY OF LIFE IS HOW BETIFUL EVERYTHG IS. IN FACT, I NOTICED EVEN BEFORE THE MOVIE STARTED WHEN THE ST TOOK THE STAGE AT THE CANN FILM FTIVAL. THE ETERNALLY ATTRACTIVE ETHAN HAWKE, WHO -STARS WH PEDRO PASL, WAS JOED BY A GROUP OF FOUR ABSOLUTE HUNKS. “YOU N SEE THE BETI I AM WH,” ALMODóVAR SAID UPON TAKG THE STAGE, BEFORE ADDG, “BUT THEY ARE ALSO VERY GOOD ACTORS.”AND THEN THE MOVIE STARTED AND THE BETY ONLY ENHANCED. IN THIS 30-MUTE SHORT, THE MEN ARE BETIFUL, THE LANDSPE IS BETIFUL, THE CLOTH ARE BETIFUL, AND EVEN THE HORS ARE BETIFUL. (LIKE, THE ARE NOT YOUR NORMAL MOVIE HORS. THEY ARE STUNNG MOVIE HORS.)THE FACT THAT EVERYTHG IS SO GEO MAK SENSE. NOT ONLY IS THIS THE WORK OF ALMODóVAR, A MAN WHO F HIS IMAG WH LORS SO VIVID YOU VIEW THEM WAYS YOU NEVER IMAGED BEFORE, ’S ALSO PRODUCED BY FASHN IN SAT LRENT AND S CREATIVE DIRECTOR ANTHONY VACRELLO.BUT STRANGE WAY OF LIFE DON’T FEEL LIKE A FASHN HOE ADVERTISEMENT, EVEN THOUGH PASL AND HAWKE ARE WEARG BPOKE DUDS. (PASL’S TECHNILOR GREEN JACKET IS AN STANTLY VETABLE LOOK.) INSTEAD ’S A VERY ALMODóVAR TALE, A MELODRAMA LACED WH A HT OF VLENCE ABOUT TWO OLD LOVERS WHO MEET AFTER 25 YEARS. THE FILM OPENS WH YET ANOTHER BETIFUL MAN SGG A PLATIVE BALLAD, AS A RANCHER NAMED SILVA (PASL) RIS TO TOWN TO VIS HIS OLD IEND JAKE (HAWKE), NOW A SHERIFF. (PASL WAS NOT ON THE GROUND CANN, BUT HIS ENTRANCE WAS MET WH SOME WOLF-WHISTLE ADJACENT “WOOS” OM THOSE SEATED NEAR ME.) SILVA EXPLAS HE IS THERE TO SEE A DOCTOR FOR HIS BAD BACK. THEY TWO HAVE DNER, DRK WE, AND THEN END UP BED TOGETHER. THE MORNG AFTER THE TWO HAVE SEX, JAKE REMARKS THAT SILVA MT HAVE LIED ABOUT THE REASON FOR HIS ARRIVAL: HIS BACK DON’T SEEM ALL THAT BAD.IT’S HERE I WILL NOTE: THAT STRANGE WAY OF LIFE ISN’T ALL THAT EXPLIC. ALMODóVAR SHOWS HAWKE STARG AT PASL’S ASS BEFORE APPROACHG AND KISSG HIS NECK, FOLLOWED BY A CUT TO BLACK. THERE IS SOME BRIEF POST-AL NUDY, BUT THAT’S ALL. BUT THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT ’S NOT SENSUAL. THE DIRECTOR IS MORE TERTED THE TUMULTUO HISTORY OF THE LOVERS THAN HE IS OTHER PROVOTNS.SOON THEIR TERACTN TURNS HOSTILE WHEN JAKE REALIZ WHY SILVA HAS REALLY RETURNED: HE IS THERE TO PROTECT HIS SON, WHO IS SPECTED TO HAVE MURRED JAKE’S AD BROTHER’S WIFE. THE TRYST TURNS TO A CHASE, WHERE BOTH HAVE LTFUL MEMORI OF THE FIRST TIME THEY HOOKED UP. (IN THE WE-DRENCHED FLASHBACKS THEY ARE PORTRAYED BY TWO EXTREMELY HOT YOUNGER, MOLQUE ACTORS.)WHOUT SPOILG WHAT HAPPENS, ALMODóVAR FDS AN ENDG THAT IS BOTH VERY ROMANTIC AND A LTLE FUCKED UP. THK: GAY WTERN PHANTOM THREAD. BEE OF THE ALL TOO BRIEF NNG TIME ’S POSSIBLE TO FEEL A LTLE SHORTCHANGED BY STRANGE WAY OF LIFE. YOU WANT MORE OF THE CHARACTERS AND THE IMAG. AT THE SAME TIME, ’S A PLEASURE TO GET TO SPEND A TY B OF TIME ALMODóVAR’S VISN OF WHAT A WTERN N BE.AT CANN, THE PREMIERE WAS FOLLOWED BY A NVERSATN WH HAWKE AND THE DIRECTOR, WHICH WAS LARGELY NDUCTED FRENCH AND SPANISH. BUT WHEN ALMODóVAR DID ANSWER A QUTN ENGLISH, HE DISCSED THE WTERN’S PLACE MORN CEMA. HE HIGHLIGHTED RECENT FILMS BY DIRECTORS JANE CAMPN, KELLY REICHARDT, AND CHLOé ZHAO AS EXAMPL OF HOW THE GENRE IS ALIVE, BEFORE THROWG POTED DISS TOWARD TAYLOR SHERIDAN’S TV SHOW YELLOWSTONE, AS EVINCE OF HOW NOT TO DO . “TO ME THE SERI IS VERY TRADNAL, THE WORST WAY,” HE SAID.SO MAYBE JT THK OF STRANGE WAY OF LIFE AS PEDRO ALMODóVAR’S ANTI-YELLOWSTONE. AND ISN’T THAT EXCG?LIKED THIS REVIEW? SIGN UP TO GET OUR WEEKLY SEE SKIP NEWSLETTER EVERY TUDAY AND FD OUT WHAT NEW SHOWS AND MOVI ARE WORTH WATCHG, AND WHICH AREN’T. ESTHER ZUCKERMAN
- DIE STROPERS IS THE LATT SOUTH AIN GAY THEMED FILM HEADG TO CEMAS
- GAY CEMA OF AGE AT ‘TONE’ CANN
PEDRO PASL AND ETHAN HAWKE’S GAY COWBOYS TAKE CANNIN PEDRO ALMODóVAR’S SHORT FILM STRANGE WAY OF LIFE, THE PAIR LEAVE WANTG MORE.BY RICHARD LAWSONMAY 17, 2023COURTY OF CANN FILM FTIVALSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHE PROMISE OF A GAY WTERN STARRG PEDRO PASL AND ETHAN HAWKE AND DIRECTED BY PEDRO ALMODóVAR PROVED TO BE TNIP TO CANN DIENC WHEN THE SHORT FILM STRANGE WAY OF LIFE PREMIERED AT THE FTIVAL WEDNDAY. NOT EVEN A STEADY RA KEPT THE CROWDS AWAY—SPE HAVG TO WA LE, GETTG DRENCHED, FOR CLOSE TO AN HOUR. WHEN ALMODóVAR TOOK THE STAGE TO TRODUCE THE FILM—ONE OF HIS FEW FORAYS TO ENGLISH-LANGUAGE CEMA—HE WAS JOED BY HAWKE AND A QUARTET OF HUNKY ACTORS (AMONG THEM MANU RS, OM THE H SPANISH TEEN SOAP ELE). IT ALL SEEMED TO SET THE STAGE FOR SOMETHG VIVID AND SENSUAL THE STYLE OF SO MANY OTHER ALMODóVAR FILMS. AND WAS BORNE OUT, ALBE LIMED WAYS, THE ACTUAL FILM. HAWKE PLAYS A SMALL-TOWN SHERIFF, JAKE, WHO IS VTIGATG THE MURR OF HIS SISTER--LAW AT THE HANDS OF HER LOVER. PASL IS SILVA, AN OLD IEND OF JAKE’S WHO RIS TO TOWN FOR SHADOWY PURPOS. AT LEAST PART OF HIS TENTN IS ROMANTIC: JAKE AND SILVA HAD A TWO-MONTH FLG MEXI SOME 25 YEARS PREV, A BRIEF AND WONRFUL GIVG- TO FORBIDN SIRE THAT SEEMS TO HAVE HNTED THE TWO MEN EVER SCE. SILVAN WANTS TO PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF, WHILE JAKE HALFHEARTEDLY RISTS. IN THAT SENSE, STRANGE WAY OF LIFE IS A MELODRAMA, WH LOTS OF HEAVY TALK ABOUT THE SWEET, EROTIC GLEAM OF THE PAST AND ALL THE BTER PROMIS OF THE PRENT. HAWKE AND PASL FD THE RIGHT TONE TO HANDLE ALL THIS FLORID EMOTG, WH ALMODóVAR MOSTLY GETTG OUT THEIR WAY. THOUGH HE DO LET ALBERTO IGLIAS’S SWELLG SRE SH AT THE LOVELORN PAIR, A DASH OF OLD HOLLYWOOD FLARE AT ONCE MOURNFUL AND SWOONG. THERE IS EVENTUALLY A SHOOTOUT, OF SORTS, BUT ’S NOT PLAYED FOR FUN. AND ’S ULTIMATELY SERVICE OF A POIGNANT NCLN. STRANGE WAY OF LIFE CUTS THROUGH S GRIZZLE TO ARRIVE AT SOMETHG SOFT AND SENTIMENTAL, A VISN OF HOW JAKE AND SILVA ULD HAVE BEEN HAD THEY ALLOWED PASSN TO W OUT OVER NVENTN AND THE HARSH STRICTUR OF LIFE THE OLD WORLD. THERE IS A SMALL B OF SEXY STUFF TOO, PARTICULARLY A DREAMY AND WE-SOAKED FLASHBACK TO WHAT WAS PERHAPS THE BEGNG OF JAKE AND SILVA’S FIRST RNAL RELEASE. IT’S BRIEF, JT LIKE THE SEXUAL EPIPHANY FLASHBACK ALMODóVAR’S PA AND GLORY. ALSO HELPG RAISE THE VAPORS LEVEL ARE THOSE HANDSOME SPANISH FELLOWS, WHO ARE BARELY THE FILM BUT ADD TO THE FILM’S HEADY, HOT-AND-BOTHERED AIR NOHELS.IT’S A KICK TO SEE ALMODóVAR’S GAY GAZE APPLIED TO A WTERN, THOUGH AT ONLY 31 MUT, THE FILM LEAV WANTG QUE A LOT MORE. ONE HOP THAT THIS MIGHT BE A MERE MO REEL FOR A FULL FEATURE FILM; ALMODóVAR HAS SAID HE IS GAG NFINCE DIRECTG ENGLISH, SO PERHAPS HE MIGHT FEEL READY TO PURSUE A MORE SUBSTANTIAL STORY WH PASL AND HAWK. THERE’S MORE TO BE EXPLORED HERE, MORE NVENTNS OF THE WTERN TO BE TURNED ON THEIR HEADS—OR, RATHER, EXPAND TO CLU NEW NARRATIV. WH STRANGE WAY OF LIFE, ALMODóVAR, SUCH A FULL-THROATED AND SGULAR FILMMAKER, PROV JT THE RIGHT MAN TO LEAD THAT REVOLUTNARY CHARGE.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYIS THIS THE BEGNG OF THE END OF THE WRERS STRIKE?BY NATALIE JARVEYRICHARD LAWSON
What’s at Cann this year? A Srse, a gay wtern, Cate Blanchett as a renega nun, and so much more. Here are the 12 films (and one TV show) we n’t wa to see. * gay movie cannes *
The promise of a gay Wtern starrg Pedro Pasl and Ethan Hawke and directed by Pedro Almodóvar proved to be tnip to Cann dienc when the short film Strange Way of Life premiered at the ftival Wednday. Also helpg raise the vapors level are those handsome Spanish fellows, who are barely the film but add to the film’s heady, hot-and-bothered air ’s a kick to see Almodóvar’s gay gaze applied to a Wtern, though at only 31 mut, the film leav wantg que a lot more.
One of the more trigug selectns at this year’s Cann Film Ftival — a 30-mute gay Wtern short film om beloved Spanish tr Pedro Almodóvar, prented by French fashn hoe Sat Lrent and starrg Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pasl — fally had s world premiere. If happens to be a very attractive, extremely talented man, all the better, " says Ethan Hawke of playg gay oppose Pasl Almodovar's Strange Way of Life.
SO ABOUT THAT GAY COWBOY MOVIE STARRG PEDRO PASL AND ETHAN HAWKE…
From Fassbr to Pasoli and Sciamma, here are some of the bt gay movi om the global arthoe. * gay movie cannes *
It creat a nflict whether you’re straight or whether you’re gay.
A murr mystery set the late ‘70s gay porn dtry, this film works as both a kschy guilty pleasure and a thoughtful medatn on sire and sexual reprsn. Though opened to to rave reviews at Cann, many of which praised s sensive pictn of young love, the film has already been banned Kenya (where homosexualy ntu to be illegal) due to s lbian storyle. A lh and btersweet romance, Sorry Angel had Cann dienc appldg s pictn of gay men durg a notably transnal time queer history.
WHAT’S AT CANN? SRSE, A GAY WTERN, AND CATE BLANCHETT AS A RENEGA NUN.
* gay movie cannes *
Cale Vidal-Naquet’s film is straightforward about the harsh reali facg a young gay male sex worker (played by Félix Mard, a performance that’s guaranteed to thst him to the limelight). When he isn’t phg the gay agenda, you n ually fd him talkg about Big Ltle Li or Lryn Hill to anyone willg to listen. So About That Gay Cowboy Movie Starrg Pedro Pasl and Ethan Hawke….
But Almodóvar, who was urted two s ago to direct the gay wtern “Brokeback Mounta” and turned down, se his new project on a ntuum wh that 2005 film, which was ultimately directed by Ang Lee, who went on to w bt director.
INTERNATNAL GAY CEMA: 33 LGBTQ MOVI TO SEE OM AROUND THE WORLD
Franz Rogowski plays a gay German repeatedly arrted for “viant practic” the s after WWII Sebastian Meise’s prison drama. * gay movie cannes *
”It’s that nversatn that ma Almodóvar want to shoot the film the first place: After makg “Pa and Glory” (2019), which starred Anton Banras as a thly veiled versn of his director, Almodóvar has found himself creasgly drawn to stori about middle-aged gay men lookg back at their liv. Rt assured, there are still plenty of cematic treats on the horizon: We’ve got an Atralian ballroom romance, a Bayard Rt bpic, Pedro Pasl playg a gay wboy, and loads of lic queer horror. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cab tells the story of a gay uple (Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge) and their adopted dghter Wen (Kristen Cui) as they grapple wh an impossible ultimatum: sacrifice someone or else the world will end.
Hontly, the whole thg sounds like Booksmart meets, well, Fight Club, and that’s exactly the kd of energy queer-themed teen edi — TBDDavid Lee / NetflixRarely has there been a bpic stg cisn as perfect as tappg Tony and Emmy-wng actor Colman Domgo to play gay civil rights activist Bayard Rt, a man who was an enormo fluence on Mart Luther Kg, Jr., among other key lears, but who mostly worked behd the scen. So if you make him a gay wboy a short film directed by Pedro Almodóvar — who, by the way, was once poised to direct Brokeback Mounta — I’ll s up straight my chair and pay rapt attentn. As Variety noted last year, Jul hatch the scheme after spottg Prton a gay sna and realizg that, bee he was drag when the attack occurred, his assailant won’t regnize him.
” Now we fally, blsedly get to see the cisns he would have ma his own gay wboy movie, Strange Way of Life. Srse, a Gay Wtern, Cate Blanchett As a Renega Nun.
THE PEDRO ALMODóVAR GAY COWBOY MOVIE AT CANN IS JT SO HOTWILD WESTALMODóVAR’S “GAY WBOY” SHORT FILM STARS TWO BETIFUL MEN (ETHAN HAWKE AND PEDRO PASL), FEATUR BETIFUL HORS, AND IS SHOT A WAY THAT IS JT SO… BETIFUL.ESTHER ZUCKERMANUPDATED MAY 19, 2023 3:39AM EDT / PUBLISHED MAY 17, 2023 11:38AM EDT PATHE UKCANNES, FRANCE—THE FIRST THG YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEDRO ALMODóVAR’S NEW GAY WBOY SHORT FILM STRANGE WAY OF LIFE IS HOW BETIFUL EVERYTHG IS. IN FACT, I NOTICED EVEN BEFORE THE MOVIE STARTED WHEN THE ST TOOK THE STAGE AT THE CANN FILM FTIVAL. THE ETERNALLY ATTRACTIVE ETHAN HAWKE, WHO -STARS WH PEDRO PASL, WAS JOED BY A GROUP OF FOUR ABSOLUTE HUNKS. “YOU N SEE THE BETI I AM WH,” ALMODóVAR SAID UPON TAKG THE STAGE, BEFORE ADDG, “BUT THEY ARE ALSO VERY GOOD ACTORS.”AND THEN THE MOVIE STARTED AND THE BETY ONLY ENHANCED. IN THIS 30-MUTE SHORT, THE MEN ARE BETIFUL, THE LANDSPE IS BETIFUL, THE CLOTH ARE BETIFUL, AND EVEN THE HORS ARE BETIFUL. (LIKE, THE ARE NOT YOUR NORMAL MOVIE HORS. THEY ARE STUNNG MOVIE HORS.)THE FACT THAT EVERYTHG IS SO GEO MAK SENSE. NOT ONLY IS THIS THE WORK OF ALMODóVAR, A MAN WHO F HIS IMAG WH LORS SO VIVID YOU VIEW THEM WAYS YOU NEVER IMAGED BEFORE, ’S ALSO PRODUCED BY FASHN IN SAT LRENT AND S CREATIVE DIRECTOR ANTHONY VACRELLO.BUT STRANGE WAY OF LIFE DON’T FEEL LIKE A FASHN HOE ADVERTISEMENT, EVEN THOUGH PASL AND HAWKE ARE WEARG BPOKE DUDS. (PASL’S TECHNILOR GREEN JACKET IS AN STANTLY VETABLE LOOK.) INSTEAD ’S A VERY ALMODóVAR TALE, A MELODRAMA LACED WH A HT OF VLENCE ABOUT TWO OLD LOVERS WHO MEET AFTER 25 YEARS. THE FILM OPENS WH YET ANOTHER BETIFUL MAN SGG A PLATIVE BALLAD, AS A RANCHER NAMED SILVA (PASL) RIS TO TOWN TO VIS HIS OLD IEND JAKE (HAWKE), NOW A SHERIFF. (PASL WAS NOT ON THE GROUND CANN, BUT HIS ENTRANCE WAS MET WH SOME WOLF-WHISTLE ADJACENT “WOOS” OM THOSE SEATED NEAR ME.) SILVA EXPLAS HE IS THERE TO SEE A DOCTOR FOR HIS BAD BACK. THEY TWO HAVE DNER, DRK WE, AND THEN END UP BED TOGETHER. THE MORNG AFTER THE TWO HAVE SEX, JAKE REMARKS THAT SILVA MT HAVE LIED ABOUT THE REASON FOR HIS ARRIVAL: HIS BACK DON’T SEEM ALL THAT BAD.IT’S HERE I WILL NOTE: THAT STRANGE WAY OF LIFE ISN’T ALL THAT EXPLIC. ALMODóVAR SHOWS HAWKE STARG AT PASL’S ASS BEFORE APPROACHG AND KISSG HIS NECK, FOLLOWED BY A CUT TO BLACK. THERE IS SOME BRIEF POST-AL NUDY, BUT THAT’S ALL. BUT THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT ’S NOT SENSUAL. THE DIRECTOR IS MORE TERTED THE TUMULTUO HISTORY OF THE LOVERS THAN HE IS OTHER PROVOTNS.SOON THEIR TERACTN TURNS HOSTILE WHEN JAKE REALIZ WHY SILVA HAS REALLY RETURNED: HE IS THERE TO PROTECT HIS SON, WHO IS SPECTED TO HAVE MURRED JAKE’S AD BROTHER’S WIFE. THE TRYST TURNS TO A CHASE, WHERE BOTH HAVE LTFUL MEMORI OF THE FIRST TIME THEY HOOKED UP. (IN THE WE-DRENCHED FLASHBACKS THEY ARE PORTRAYED BY TWO EXTREMELY HOT YOUNGER, MOLQUE ACTORS.)WHOUT SPOILG WHAT HAPPENS, ALMODóVAR FDS AN ENDG THAT IS BOTH VERY ROMANTIC AND A LTLE FUCKED UP. THK: GAY WTERN PHANTOM THREAD. BEE OF THE ALL TOO BRIEF NNG TIME ’S POSSIBLE TO FEEL A LTLE SHORTCHANGED BY STRANGE WAY OF LIFE. YOU WANT MORE OF THE CHARACTERS AND THE IMAG. AT THE SAME TIME, ’S A PLEASURE TO GET TO SPEND A TY B OF TIME ALMODóVAR’S VISN OF WHAT A WTERN N BE.AT CANN, THE PREMIERE WAS FOLLOWED BY A NVERSATN WH HAWKE AND THE DIRECTOR, WHICH WAS LARGELY NDUCTED FRENCH AND SPANISH. BUT WHEN ALMODóVAR DID ANSWER A QUTN ENGLISH, HE DISCSED THE WTERN’S PLACE MORN CEMA. HE HIGHLIGHTED RECENT FILMS BY DIRECTORS JANE CAMPN, KELLY REICHARDT, AND CHLOé ZHAO AS EXAMPL OF HOW THE GENRE IS ALIVE, BEFORE THROWG POTED DISS TOWARD TAYLOR SHERIDAN’S TV SHOW YELLOWSTONE, AS EVINCE OF HOW NOT TO DO . “TO ME THE SERI IS VERY TRADNAL, THE WORST WAY,” HE SAID.SO MAYBE JT THK OF STRANGE WAY OF LIFE AS PEDRO ALMODóVAR’S ANTI-YELLOWSTONE. AND ISN’T THAT EXCG?LIKED THIS REVIEW? SIGN UP TO GET OUR WEEKLY SEE SKIP NEWSLETTER EVERY TUDAY AND FD OUT WHAT NEW SHOWS AND MOVI ARE WORTH WATCHG, AND WHICH AREN’T. ESTHER ZUCKERMAN
Almodóvar nvced Cann to add more ‘Strange Way of Life’ screengs. His iends, who likened the short film’s st to the ver of Playgirl, warned him his gay wboy movie would have this effect. * gay movie cannes *
That unbearable, paful erotic tensn is more or ls the staed mood of Oliver Herman’ shimmerg and sensual ary drama “Moffie, ” which is easily the bt movie about gay male reprsn sce “God’s Own Country. ” Set 1981 South Ai at the apex of the South Ain Borr War, the film’s story of gay unrequed sire turns out to be a sg for somethg far more lethal s marrow. It’s 1981, South Ai, which means ’s not okay to be a “moffie”; effemacy is a sign of weakns, and beg gay is also illegal.
DIE STROPERS IS THE LATT SOUTH AIN GAY THEMED FILM HEADG TO CEMAS
An Aikaans farmboy is forced to nont his sexualy when a troubled teen is taken by the fay Die Stropers, a new gay-themed film. * gay movie cannes *
Frears’ film nonts all manner of taboos, not only terms of the gay relatnship at s center, but also the entrenched xenophobia and natnalism that challenge their bond. Raer Werner Fassbr’s fal howl of anguish om the soul was 1982’s “Querelle, ” his last and possibly gayt movie. It’s an adaptatn of a novel by French liberte and gay in Jean Ge, settlg to a French port cy where a madame played by Jeanne More ns the world, and sailors engage explic sex acts that turn vlent.
Ala Guirdie’s sexy and sry “Stranger by the Lake” has earned cricisms for nflatg homosexualy wh crimaly, but ’s hard not to be drawn to the world of a nu beach that serv as a regular cisg spot for lonely gay men.
GAY CEMA OF AGE AT ‘TONE’ CANN
” Set durg the fal years of the Edo perd Japan, “Taboo” centers on an androgyno-lookg samurai (played by Ryuhei Matsuda) whom his manr spects to be gay. It ma the shortlist, but py didn’t go all the way bee this spirg movie provis need reprentatn for young gay people stgglg to e out. Set Cuba, the film centers on J (Héctor Meda), a young gay hairdrser whose aspiratns of beg a drag performer are upend by the return of his nservative (and not to mentn tranged) father.