Blue Moon

Blue Moon feels like a stage play which is ironic given the characters and content. The film stars Ethan Hawke who, if paid per word, can retire a wealthy man. The story takes place over one evening at a local bar and mixes interesting characters with rich dialogue to give as an intimate look at a person most have never heard of.

Synopsis: Tells the story of Lorenz Hart’s struggles with alcoholism and mental health as he tries to save face during the opening of “Oklahoma!” | 1h 40m | Rated R for language and sexual references.

If you read the synopsis you wonder why anyone would need to save face during the opening of “Oklahoma!” . The year is 1943 and Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) was a playwright who had a nice career teaming with a better known name, Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott). For Oklahoma! Rogers teamed up for the first time with writer Oscar Hammerstein. Hart has to watch from the sideline as Oklahoma! becomes the hottest play ever.

For one-hour and forty-minutes we get to listen to Hart joke, lament, and comment on every thought that is rolling around in his head. His patient audience – other than us – is a bartender (Bobby Cannavale) and piano player (Jonah Lees) who listen with grace. There is no doubt that this is not the first time they have been in this position.

Other than his disdain with Oklahoma! Lorenz also emotes a lot about a young woman (Margaret Qualley) half his age that he thinks he is in love with. Sadly she is a poet and designer who has amazing respect and adoration for Hart, but nothing more. You feel sorry for Hart as you can tell that anxiety, heartache, and alcoholism have robbed him of any joy success may have brought. The fact that he is barely 5-ft tall also must play into his confidence.

This height issue feels a little weird at first. Hawke is 5’10” so he has to always appear much shorter. Maybe they built the sets bigger, used force perspective, or just let him stand in a trench; regardless the point is made. That and a really bad comb-over completes the transformation into Hart. A transformation that Hawke embraces and sells quite naturally.

Many will grumble that this film is all talk and no action. And they are right. If you have never attended a one act play, or a dramatic stage presentation, you might not grasp the power that well delivered lines can have. Writer Robert Kaplow offers pages and pages of deep and thoughtful prose that Ethan handles like an expert thespian. Do we want all films to be this genre and making. No, but when we get them, and they are done well, we have to give them credit and attention.

The supporting cast is just that. To support Hawke. If they can ever get a word in it is delivered as you would expect. Qualley has the best interaction with Hart in a conversation that is intimate as well as Hart-breaking.

The film is rated R for language and dialogue. Hart has no filter and often what comes out of his mouth is adult in nature. When it does it is another look into Hart’s psyche as it is normally aimed at his own detriment and self degradation, which comes across as sad more than vulgar.

BLUE MOON is in wide release October 24th. There will be some award buzz around this one so if that is your arena it is one to watch. For others it will hit just as strong streaming at home later.

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Matt Mungle

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