Collaborations on screen can greatly enhance the viewing experience. Whether it’s actors who know each other’s rhythm thanks to frequent collaborations, or an actor and director who know how to get the best from each other, it rewards and audience. That’s certainly true of the partnership between Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater.
The pair’s on-screen partnership goes back decades. They’ve teamed for some iconic films that include the best work by each. Their latest partnership, Blue Moon, is another great on-screen pairing. The film seeks to pay homage to Lorentz Hart (Hawke) and does so in a unique way.
The film is nearly entirely closed off. It’s about characters talking in a single location. And it takes place over the course of a single evening. It’s a unique approach that provides an engaging film that is one of the better performances of the year.
We pick up on the night of Oklahoma’s debut on the stage. Hart is in attendance, but quickly slips away to a nearby bar that will be the scene of an afterparty. The show was co-created by Hart’s former partner, Richard Rogers (Andrew Scott), who has gone on to team with Oscar Hammerstein II (Simon Delaney) on this new show. And it seems bound to be a hit.
While Rogers and Hart created some iconic work, their partnership dissolved due to some of Hart’s personality quirks and his approach to the work. Now, Hart is struggling both personally and professionally. He’s also struggling with a little envy and jealousy of his former partner. He’s come to drown his sorrows and pick himself up before facing his friend.
He’s also come to interact with Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley). They have a fantastic back-and-forth, and it’s clear she fascinates and engages Hart. But what is at the root of their relationship and connection? Hart proclaims to want romance, but is it really the case?
Soon enough, Hart is brought face-to-face with Rogers and Hammerstein. He’s effusive in his praise and receives a warm welcome from Rogers, who pitches them working together again. It’s an awkward evening, but one that leaves Hart hopeful about their future.
A contained story in Blue Moon
This is a unique approach to the film. We learn a lot about Hart, his life, and his career without spending a long time or moving through the years. The structure of the film—written by Robert Kaplow—allows Hart to tell his story, in his own words, to anyone who’ll listen. That includes the bartender (Bobby Cannavale), other patrons, and people like Weiland and Rogers.
It soars, in part, thanks to a good performance from Hawke. He sinks into the role and makes a meal of the dialogue from Hart. He shines and brings the film up around him. It’s clear that Linklater’s camera loves him, too. He’s having fun, and he makes a lot of the film around him fun, too.
I also enjoyed his back-and-forth with Rogers. We can see the tension in their relationship, and yet the mutual respect they both still have. Scott does a nice job as the iconic creator and has some good back-and-forth with Hawke on screen.
But the weak link is what we’re to make of some of the rest of what’s happening. I like Qualley, who is a talented and engaging actress. And yet, there’s something that feels incomplete about this part and awkward in their interactions. That’s even more puzzling realizing the film is adapted from letters passed back-and-forth between Hart and Weiland. That made her inclusion necessary, but that part of the film just didn’t work as well as the rest.
In the end, this is about Hawke and a good time. The film is just about 100 minutes, making it a quick watch. The songs—which include a lot of Hart’s famous numbers—add to the production and overall, it’s an engaging and fun watch. It’s a film worth checking out if you’re looking for a good time at the movies.
Blue Moon opens in theaters on Friday, Oct. 24.
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