Watch: New Details Emerge about Almodóvar's Gay Western, Premiering at Cannes

Media coverage of Pedro Almodóvar's gay western, "Strange Way of Life," which premieres today at Cannes, brings fresh details to light about the story and characters.

The film runs only 30 minutes, but it's had an outsized impact ever since the project was announced. Comparisons to "Brokeback Mountain" are inevitable – and, new reports confirm, justified: "Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal star as a lawman and a cowboy who reunite 25 years after having a passionate affair," according to the New York Times. "But will their old magic be rekindled, or are both men concealing ulterior motives for the meeting?"

The Times goes on to add: "Almodóvar, who was courted two decades ago to direct the gay western 'Brokeback Mountain' and turned it down, sees his new project on a continuum with that 2005 film, which was ultimately directed by Ang Lee, who went on to win best director."

"In 'Brokeback Mountain,' Jake Gyllenhaal's character says to Heath Ledger's character that they should go away and work on a ranch," Almodóvar told the Times. "Heath says, 'What would two men do in the West, working on a ranch?' In many ways, I feel my film gives answer to that."

The comment reinforces an impression viewers of the short film's trailer might have gotten from a scene in the trailer in which a battered Sheriff Jake (Hawke) lies in bed while Silva (Pascal) nurses him. "Years ago you asked me what two men could do living together on a ranch," Pascal says to the lawman. "I'll answer you now."

IndieWire dove deeply into the film's storyline, reporting, "Silva's son has been accused of murder and the job falls to Sheriff Jake to track the criminal down, but that doesn't stop him from reuniting with his old paramour the night before the job."

"The ensuing drama is poignant and personal, but it turns on an erotic chemistry between the actors that almost feels subversive due to the two movie stars at its center," the article added.

That description could have fit "Brokeback Mountain," either in 2005 or now – but, IndieWire recalled, though he had wanted to try his hand at an English language feature (and still does – a project with Cate Blanchett that he was to have directed was recently scrapped), the openly gay Spanish filmmaker was convinced that there would be considerable daylight between what he wanted to do with the movie and what he would be allowed to do.

"I think Ang Lee made a wonderful movie," Almodóvar told IndieWire last year, "but I never believed that they would give me complete freedom and independence to make what I wanted." Even though "they said, 'You can do whatever you want,'" the filmmaker "knew that there was a limitation."

Explaining that he saw the sexual attraction between the two protagonists of "Brokeback Mountain" as "animalistic," Almodóvar mused, "for me it was impossible to have that in the movie because it was a Hollywood movie. You could not have these two guys fucking all the time."

Not that that's what's going on in "Strange Way of Life," either. The erotic vibe between its leads notwithstanding, "'Strange Way of Life' isn't graphic – unless you count the fleeting shot of Pascal's butt – but the men share a series of tender moments, physical and otherwise," IndieWire relayed, before judging that "Pascal and Hawke make for a convincing pair."

Addressing his pairing with Hawke, Pascal told IndieWire, "I don't imagine sexual chemistry as something to approach."

"It's simply a matter of playing the character," Pascal went on to say, before adding: "I think there's a disarming and playful sexiness to everything Pedro does, so it's exciting to step into that world. It also helped to have a scene partner as good as Ethan."

Hawke also spoke about his casting as a onetime love interest for Pascal's character. "I did a play in 1991 where Steve Zahn and I made out so, you know, I've always been game for a good time," the actor said.

Watch the preview for "Strange Way of Life" below.