THE STORY – Tells the story of the legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart bravely facing the future as his professional and private life unravels during the opening night party for his former partner Richard Rodgers’ hit show, “Oklahoma!”. In 100 minutes, the film unspools in real-time the events in Sardi’s bar on the evening of March 31, 1943. It is a meditation on friendship, art, and love, featuring a rich tapestry of writers, actors, musicians, friends, and protégés – a parade of the famous and the soon-to-be-famous. By the time this night is over, Hart will have confronted both a world irrevocably changed by the war and the seeming impossibility of love.
THE CAST – Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Andrew Scott & Bobby Cannavale
THE TEAM – Richard Linklater (Director) & Robert Kaplow (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 100 Minutes
Richard Linklater may be one of Hollywood’s most romantic filmmakers; from his acclaimed work on the “Before Sunrise” trilogy to his more sentimental efforts like “Boyhood,” the writer/director seems enamored with the idea of romance as life’s driving force. “Blue Moon” doesn’t deviate from this tradition either, offering a profoundly intimate and dryly comedic insight into the world of Lorenz Hart, an American lyricist and composer most famous for songs such as “My Funny Valentine” and the titular “Blue Moon.” Linklater’s newest drama is a cacophony of poetic ideas that, as always, shines through with witty and fast-paced dialogue from Robert Kaplow’s script.
“Blue Moon” follows one turbulent night in the life of Lorenz Hart – notably, the opening night of his lifelong friend and former collaborator Richard Rodgers’ smash-hit musical “Oklahoma!”. When his old partner’s success forces Hart to grapple with his own lack of inspiration, the playwright tries to reconnect with old acquaintances and ponder the meaning of artistry in a society increasingly enamored by “inoffensive” work. While everybody in New York has seemingly forgotten Hart to praise Rodgers instead, the only person who pays any attention to him is a young college girl whom he’s fallen deeply in love with.
At its core, “Blue Moon” is a film about those who strive to be spectacular in a world that often settles for greatness. The character of Lorenz Hart is one of Linklater’s most empathetic and richly developed protagonists, brought to life by an equally vulnerable and transformative performance from Ethan Hawke. Set to the glamorous backdrop of a glitzy wartime bar in New York, the film is a forceful character study that unravels with immense patience, taking its sweet time before allowing the true meaning of this narrative to boil to the surface: a message of artistic perseverance in the face of waning ambition.
Linklater’s screenplays are always filled with thematic depth and vivid subtexts that reach far beyond the surface level of the story, and “Blue Moon” is no different. The film never rushes to get its point, with countless sequences that consist of little more than regular conversations between the characters. While these discussions may not always be totally relevant to the story (the movie opens with a lengthy debate about the best line in Michael Curtiz’s “Casablanca”), they methodically dissect these characters’ worldviews and make it much easier for audiences to understand their later actions. Linklater is a genuinely empathetic filmmaker who understands how his characters think, and this dialogue-heavy approach can be very effective at creating fully-formed figures to helm this story.
Admittedly, “Blue Moon” has a tendency to hyper-fixate on these philosophical discussions in a way that conversely alienates the viewer from the narrative. While there’s no denying the strength of Kaplow’s writing, audiences may frequently struggle to see the point of this story through the ostentatious and indulgent dialogue. This criticism has been thrown at Linklater’s work ever since “Before Sunrise,” even though he was the writer on that film and not this one. Still, the principal difference between these projects is that Jesse and Celine’s romance in that movie is compelling enough to draw audiences into these immaterial discussions. At the same time, Hart’s dynamic with Qualley’s character Elizabeth isn’t quite as captivating, distancing viewers as a result.
That’s not to say that Linklater’s reliance on the screenplay’s quippy dialogue and sharp conversations doesn’t work at all; there’s a real slice-of-life energy to “Blue Moon” that works particularly well, making the most of its continuous storytelling to create tangible tension and friction between the characters. Ethan Hawke, Andrew Scott, and Margaret Qualley are all infinitely charming in these contemporary roles, but it’s Hawke’s lead performance that undeniably steals the show. The entire film hinges on his ability to keep the audience engaged despite an extremely dense screenplay that demands the viewer’s attention at all times – and he manages to do precisely that. Bobby Cannavale is another standout of the ensemble, while Scott and Qualley provide brilliant performances in somewhat underwritten roles.
With “Blue Moon,” Richard Linklater once again proves his ability to highlight deeply personal and intimate narratives through characters that feel overwhelmingly real and authentic. While the film’s conversational style may sometimes feel indulgent, its deep exploration of artistry and legacy as key themes remains profoundly moving. It’s not as universally accessible or emotionally captivating as Linklater’s existing catalog, but “Blue Moon” is a rewarding experience for those willing to immerse themselves in its smooth, romantic rhythm – though perhaps underwhelming for audiences seeking a more enticing and fast-moving narrative.
