"Hawke deserves full credit for his tireless and mesmerizing performance"

This year, Richard Linklater has been particularly active in the filmmaking department. Blue Moon is the first of two of his films to premiere at the London Film Festival, and it’s set for release in the UK in mid November.

The film aims to celebrate, in its own way, the life and work of Lorenz Hart — the famous lyricist of the 1940s and one half of the legendary Broadway duo Rodgers and Hart.

After the premiere of Oklahoma!—the show that marked Richard Rodgers’ (Andrew Scott) new and enduring collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein (Simon Delaney)—everyone is celebrating their success. Hart (Ethan Hawke), on the other hand, finds himself drunk, reminiscing about his past glories, and oscillating between belittling Rodgers’ new play and offering it glowing praise to anyone willing to listen.

If Blue Moon was intended to honor Hart’s memory and work, Linklater takes a rather unconventional approach. Through a series of long, almost dizzying monologues, Hart emerges as a jealous, bitter, and callous man who hides behind dry humor to mock Rodgers’ work, all while trying to position himself as the greater artist and the true genius of Broadway. Beneath all the bravado and nostalgic anecdotes lies a deeply insecure man — desperate to remain relevant, longing to relive his glory days, and not above begging for another chance.

Rodgers, by contrast, appears exasperated yet resigned. He recognizes Hart’s extraordinary talent, but also knows that his partner’s alcoholism and pride have made it impossible for them to work together again — and to ever recapture their old magic.

The film features a talented ensemble cast, including Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Scott, but it’s Ethan Hawke who dominates nearly three-quarters of the script. His near-endless monologue is punctuated only by Margaret Qualley, who plays Elizabeth Weiland — an ambitious student using Hart’s fascination with her as a way to get introduced to Rodgers. Her presence ultimately deepens the film’s tragic portrait of Hart, leaving the audience feeling pity for a man who once wrote some of the most beloved and enduring lyrics in musical theatre.

While Hawke deserves full credit for his tireless and mesmerizing performance, Blue Moon ultimately falls short of truly celebrating Hart’s artistry. Instead, it lingers morbidly on the notion that no matter how much one achieves in life, everyone ends up alone.