I don’t often watch short films, but this weekend presented the perfect trifecta! Sure, they were by directors with some serious clout, but they are also directors that I’m a big fan of, so it’s a win for me.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – Two Wes Anderson works in one year?! Yes, please! This almost 40 minute tale is an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s short story of the same name. I did not realize that Fantastic Mr. Fox was also a Dahl work that Anderson adapted, but it’s clear now that he’s probably a superfan. Anyway, the story is of Henry Sugar, who learns of a clairvoyant guru who was able to see without using his eyes. He found this skill useful and decided to master it himself in order to cheat at gambling. After the amount of dedication though, when he was finally able to put his skills to use, he found that winning was not as sweet as he’d hoped. Instead, he used his skills to still collect money at casino’s, but funneled the profits into building and funding children’s hospitals and orphanages. I really liked that the small cast was utilized throughout the film in various little parts. Great fun for Wes Anderson lovers and fans of this particular work!
The Human Voice – I had seen this short film a little while after its initial release in 2020, but it was part of a Pedro Almodovar double feature at my local indie theater, so I got to see it again! Based off a play of the same name, it focuses on a woman, very isolated in her home (located within a soundstage), who finally gets a call from her ex-lover of five years on the eve of his wedding to another woman. Their discussion triggers her depression and anger, so even though she may come off dramatic in some regards, I know that her plight is probably relatable to so many out there. Tilda Swinton is a goddess, so of course she nails it here, and it probably also helps that she’s a past Almodovar collaborator. She gets it.
Strange Way of Life – Given that Pedro Pascal is on the hottest hot streak right now, it should come as no surprise that this new Almodovar short film was one of the buzziest things to premiere at Cannes this year. In interviews, Almodovar said that back in the day he was approached to adapt Brokeback Mountain for the screen, but he wasn’t confident in his English and declined. He claims that this can probably be viewed as his interpretation or inspiration of it. And there are certainly parallels. Jake is a gruff sheriff who is greeted by Silva, a rancher, 25 years after they spent some very intimate time together. They rekindle that spark, but it’s likely a diversion for Silva’s son, who’s gotten himself into some serious trouble. It was a pretty perfect viewing and I know I wouldn’t mind seeing this expanded into a feature maybe focusing on the events after the short.