Blue Moon Analysis: Ethan Hawke Excels in Richard Linklater's Bitter Showbiz Breakup Drama

Parting ways from the more famous colleague in a performance partnership is a dangerous affair. Larry David went through it. Likewise Andrew Ridgeley. Presently, this clever and profoundly melancholic chamber piece from writer the writer Robert Kaplow and filmmaker the director Richard Linklater tells the all but unbearable tale of musical theater lyricist the lyricist Lorenz Hart shortly following his breakup from Richard Rodgers. His role is portrayed with campy brilliance, an unspeakable combover and artificial shortness by Ethan Hawke, who is often technologically minimized in stature – but is also at times filmed placed in an unseen pit to gaze upward sadly at taller characters, confronting the lyricist's stature problem as José Ferrer previously portrayed the small-statured artist Toulouse-Lautrec.

Layered Persona and Themes

Hawke achieves large, cynical chuckles with the character's witty comments on the hidden gayness of the film Casablanca and the cheesily upbeat stage show he just watched, with all the lariat-wielding cowhands; he bitingly labels it Okla-gay. The orientation of Hart is multifaceted: this movie clearly contrasts his queer identity with the straight persona created for him in the 1948 stage show the production Words and Music (with actor Mickey Rooney playing Hart); it shrewdly deduces a kind of bisexuality from Hart's correspondence to his protege: young Yale student and budding theater artist the character Elizabeth Weiland, acted in this movie with carefree youthful femininity by actress Margaret Qualley.

As a component of the renowned musical theater songwriting team with composer Rodgers, Lorenz Hart was accountable for matchless numbers like the classic The Lady Is a Tramp, the tune Manhattan, the standard My Funny Valentine and of course the titular Blue Moon. But frustrated by Hart’s alcoholism, undependability and gloomy fits, Rodgers ended their partnership and joined forces with the writer Oscar Hammerstein II to write the musical Oklahoma! and then a raft of live and cinematic successes.

Sentimental Layers

The film envisions the severely despondent Hart in the musical Oklahoma!'s opening night NYC crowd in 1943, looking on with envious despair as the production unfolds, loathing its mild sappiness, abhorring the exclamation point at the end of the title, but soul-crushingly cognizant of how lethally effective it is. He realizes a smash when he views it – and senses himself falling into unsuccessfulness.

Even before the break, Lorenz Hart sadly slips away and makes his way to the pub at the establishment Sardi's where the remainder of the movie occurs, and waits for the (certainly) victorious Oklahoma! cast to arrive for their post-show celebration. He knows it is his performance responsibility to praise Rodgers, to feign all is well. With smooth moderation, the performer Andrew Scott acts as Rodgers, clearly embarrassed at what they both know is Hart's embarrassment; he offers a sop to his ego in the guise of a brief assignment writing new numbers for their current production the show A Connecticut Yankee, which just exacerbates the situation.

• Actor Bobby Cannavale portrays the bartender who in traditional style listens sympathetically to Hart’s arias of bitter despondency
• The thespian Patrick Kennedy plays author EB White, to whom Hart accidentally gives the concept for his kids' story the novel Stuart Little
• Qualley acts as Weiland, the impossibly gorgeous Yale attendee with whom the movie conceives Hart to be complicatedly and self-harmingly in adoration

Lorenz Hart has already been jilted by Richard Rodgers. Certainly the universe couldn't be that harsh as to have him dumped by Weiland as well? But Qualley mercilessly depicts a girl who desires Lorenz Hart to be the chuckling, non-sexual confidant to whom she can confide her exploits with guys – as well of course the theater industry influencer who can advance her profession.

Performance Highlights

Hawke reveals that Lorenz Hart somewhat derives spectator's delight in hearing about these young men but he is also authentically, mournfully enamored with Elizabeth Weiland and the film tells us about something seldom addressed in movies about the world of musical theatre or the films: the terrible overlap between professional and romantic failure. Nevertheless at some level, Hart is boldly cognizant that what he has accomplished will endure. It’s a terrific performance from Ethan Hawke. This could be a live show – but who shall compose the tunes?

The movie Blue Moon premiered at the London cinema festival; it is available on the 17th of October in the US, November 14 in the UK and on the 29th of January in the land down under.