Tells the story of Lorenz Hart’s struggles with alcoholism and mental health as he tries to save face during the opening of “Oklahoma!”.
Chuck says:
Critics, lazy lot that we are, tend to overuse superlatives to the point that they ultimately lose their meaning. “Spectacular,” “Astonishing” and “Heart-Pounding” are among the most egregious examples of this, cluttering TV and print ads alike, ineffective in their overuse. Another is “Tour de Force” in reference to a titanic (<another one!) performance. I’m not sure if I’ve ever used this descriptor but I’m about to now and hope that, despite its familiarity, it still conveys the strength of my statement.
Ethan Hawke delivers a tour de force performance as lyricist Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon” and I mean what I say. I’ve tended to be hot and cold where the actor was concerned, and he really didn’t command my attention until his devastating turn in Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed.” Hawke is just as good here, mesmerizing from the first moment to the last, captivating us with his portrayal of a desperate, petty, flawed man clamoring for a shot at professional redemption. Appearing in every scene, he brings a shattered charisma to Hart, simultaneously eliciting feelings of sympathy and scorn in equal measure from the viewer, never less than enthralling throughout
Structured very much like a play, the entire film takes place at the renowned Broadway restaurant, Sardi’s. It’s the evening of March 31st, 1943, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s seminal musical, “Oklahoma” is having its premiere. Hart has wandered into the bar area for two reasons. The first is, he plans on meeting Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley), a 20-year-old theater major he’s smitten with, hoping their relationship will be consummated later that evening. The other is to eavesdrop on the “Oklahoma” cast and its writers who, as tradition has it, will stop by to read the first reviews and hopefully celebrate a success.
If it proves to be a hit, this will be particularly galling for Hart. He and Rodgers (Andrew Scott) had been partners for years, their professional union broken due to his drinking. Getting a bit of sympathy and perhaps a chance at redemption are his aims, two goals he’s sabotaging with repeated shots of rye, supplied by the sympathetic bartender, Eddie (a perfect Bobby Cannavale).
While waiting for both events to occur, Hart treats, harangues and bores Eddie and barroom pianist Morty Rifkin (Jonah Lees) with his opinions on women and his rivals, anecdotes regarding Rodgers and the various women he’s pursued and his hopes for his personal and professional future. Hawke gives a stream-of-consciousness performance, rattling off reams of dialogue in a seemingly spontaneous manner that’s riveting. A known raconteur, the actor casts a spell as he regales us with one story, opinion, and hope after the next. The script by Robert Kaplow flows effortlessly from one telling to the next, each one effortlessly dovetailing into the next. The spontaneity Hawke brings to these tales and insights make them engrossing, listening to him speak over the course of this tense night a delight.
A knowledge of American musical theater or the works of Rodger, Hart and Hammerstein isn’t necessary to enjoy the film. To be sure, it may increase your enjoyment to identify “What’ll I Do?”, “Always,” and the myriad other classic tunes playing in the background, but these songs or recognizing an allusion to the birth of a classic children’ book aren’t required to get the film’s full impact.
In the end, this is a character study of a man, one foolish enough to still delude himself regarding his professional prospects and dream of an impossible romance. In the end, Hart proves to be his own worst enemy, something he understands all too well. Yet, we’re left with the impression that despite his troubles, his life was a full one, lived on his own terms without compromise. Without question, there’s a tragic element to Hart’s life, but there’s a sense of joy as well, all of which is captured in Hawke’s nuanced, grand performance which enlivens “Moon” with its audacity and compassion.
4 Stars
Pam says:
Before there was Rodgers and Hammerstein, there was Rodgers and Hart; the songwriting duo that defined an era of American musical theater. Lorenz, or Larry as he’s affectionately called, Hart, Richard Rodgers’ first collaborator, gave the world classics such as “My Funny Valentine,” “Isn’t It Romantic,” and “Blue Moon.” While their melodies endure, Hart has all but faded from public memory.
Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon” seeks to bring him back into the spotlight, if only for one night. The film, starring Ethan Hawke as Hart, focuses upon the songwriter’s final year, 1943, and an imagined evening following the Broadway opening of “Oklahoma! — Rodgers’ first collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein and obviously, not his last. Left out of his triumph, Hart drowns his feelings at Sardi’s, reflecting on his career, his relationships, and his uneasy sense of displacement within the industry he helped build and shape.
“Blue Moon” plays like an intimate stage production with its rhythmical conversations and emotionally charged dialogues. Much of the film unfolds between Hart and Eddie, the bartender portrayed with measured warmth, kindness, and restraint by Bobby Cannavale. Through their exchanges, Linklater paints a portrait of a man whose need for love and recognition verges on desperation. Hart’s affection for Elizabeth played by Margaret Qualley is sincere, but it is only one facet of his longing; he craves admiration, validation, and a sense of being loved and belonging that will forever elude him.
Hawke delivers one of the most compelling and passionate performances of his career. His portrayal of Hart balances wit and meloncholy, capturing the restless energy of a man both brilliant and broken. The dialogue, eloquent without veering into affectation, moves at a brisk tempo that mirrors Hart’s racing mind. Linklater’s direction is deft and immersive as the camera doesn’t linger, but intstead keeps pace with the characters’ frenetic internal timing.
“Blue Moon” is not a traditional biopic in that it uses a fictional framework, but this allows the film to achieve, perhaps, an even deeper truth about Hart. Imagining a night that might have been, revealing the cost of artistic brilliance and the loneliness he felt results in a film that is as lyrical and bittersweet as Hart’s own melodies.
4 Stars
