Blue Moon

Summary

“The head has nothing to do with the madness of love.”

Sony Pictures Classics has recently released the Richard Linklater directed film Blue Moon.  Blue Moon was written by Robert Kaplow, who had also written the script for Linklater’s 2008 picture Me and Orson Welles. The film takes place over one eventful night for lyricist Lorenz Hart. Hart is played by Ethan Hawke in a heralded Oscar nominated performance. I tend to like small scale and single setting dramas like this, and I also have loved many of Linklater’s films since I was a teenager, so it was easy to convince me to check out Blue Moon.

The film begins by showing the collapse of Lorenz Hart in a drunken stupor in an alley a few days before his death. Hart was an alcoholic and his drinking led to his early demise. The film picks back up a few months earlier on March 31, 1943. Lorenz Hart is having a tough night. His former collaborater Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott,) with whom Hart had his greatest successes, has invited Hart to attend the opening night of his newest musical “Oklahoma!” Rodgers had paired up with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein III after his partnership with Hart dissolved, and their collaborations were very successful. Hart views the musical and is incredibly dismayed. He heads to the famous bar Sardi’s where he interacts with bartender Eddie (Bobby Cannavale) and writer E.B. Andy White (Patrick Kennedy.) Lorenz has sworn Eddie to not pour him any drinks, so he has Eddie pour him a water and a shot of whiskey for him to smell. Lorenz is jealous and saddened by his friend’s success without him, but he is excited by the prospect of the arrival of twenty year old Yale student Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley.) Thus far, his relationship with Elizabeth has been plutonic, but Lorenz has high hopes that he will be able to eventually turn the relationship romantic and seduce her. The film follows Lorenz’s exploits and conversations as he attempts to gain back favor from Rodgers and to have Elizabeth see him in a romantic light. As he does so, Lorenz leans on the crutch that ruined his relationship with Rodgers and would eventually claim his life – drinking alcohol.

Blue Moon is an enjoyable small scale drama. Robert Kaplow wrote the script to focus on a memorable persona and limited the actions to taking place on one night in one famous bar. This has the effect of making the picture feel like a stage play because the setting and list of characters is pretty limited. I personally do not find this to be an issue. The script was written after Robert Kaplow had read several actual letters between Lorenz Hart and Elizabeth Weiland, and there is a quality to the writing’s authenticity. Hart is an interesting person to focus a script on, but Kaplow wisely understands that this single evening could be a solid snapshot to build a character study around. I had a pleasant time watching the actions that take place over the course of an hour and a half at Sardi’s, and liked how the film is sympathetic to the inherent sadness of the main character while not completely dwelling on that sadness. Hart is consistently telling off color jokes and regaling anyone that will listen with stories of his plans. The interactions between Hart and his former partner Rodgers are scripted really well. Overall, the amount of enjoyment that a viewer will take out of the film will be based on if this type of script appeals to them. I personally enjoyed it.

With a script that focuses on limited characters and settings, you need actors that can really act. Ethan Hawke gives an excellent performance in the film that is aided by clever optical tricks that make the actor look much shorter than he is. Hawke is a very likable actor and human being. He obviously loves his craft, and he really sinks his teeth into the role. Hawke has been collaborating with Richard Linklater since 1995’s Before Sunrise. Their thirty year relationship has yielded some excellent small scale dramas and the truly special film experience Boyhood. That easy working relationship probably comes across in the film with the vulnerability Hawke was willing to show onscreen here. The results are very good and it is understandable why Hawke received the Oscar nomination this year. The rest of the cast is strong. Andrew Scott is a great actor and he plays the role of Rodgers very well by leaning into the exasperation that Rodgers felt from Hart’s lack of reliability in their working relationship. Bobby Cannavale is likable as the bartending Eddie. Margaret Qualley is similarly well cast as the object of Hart’s affection that is obviously out of reach. Simon Delaney, Jonah Lees, and Patrick Kennedy are all solid in their smaller parts. Linklater works well with the actors and keeps the pacing of the picture moving in a tight hour and forty minutes. I enjoy small scale character studies like this, and it felt like traveling back in time and having a nice night out at a bar in the Forties with some good company. While this isn’t a film I envision revisiting often, I could easily see myself revisiting Sardi’s and the cast of melancholy characters there again at some point.

Video

Sony’s Blu-ray release of Blue Moon looks pretty good. Blue Moon was shot on digital film in 1.78:1 aspect ratio and the 1080p presentation downscales from the original 4K digital file. The film has a really pleasant appearance that takes in the meticulously recreated Sardi’s Bar and makes the viewer feel like he is right there with Hart and his acquaintances. Cinematographer Shane F. Kelly lights the film well and performs some clever in camera tricks to make Ethan Hawke appear dramatically shorter. Given that this picture largely takes place in one location, I don’t think that this film would benefit tremendously by receiving a 4K upgrade. I think this Blu-ray presentation will have no issues pleasing fans of the film.

Audio

Like the video, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio on this release by Sony presents the original sound design of the picture well. While this picture largely focuses on the dialogue between the characters (there is no action to speak of,) the film utilizes the music of the Sardi’s softly played piano to great effect. I saw no fault in this track whatsoever and don’t think it could be improved in any dramatic way.

Supplements:

• Trailer

Overall Scores:

Video: 4.5/5

Audio: 4.5/5

Supplements: 1/5

Overall – 4/5

Blue Moon is a well written small scale drama and character study that takes place over one eventful night in the life of lyricist Lorenz Hart. Hart is played with tenderness  and melancholy by Ethan Hawke in one of his best performances. Linklater has a strong working relationship with Hawke, and they bring the best out of each other. Robert Kaplow’s script feels somewhat like a play with its small cast and setting, but I enjoyed my time in Sardi’s bar. Margaret Qualley, Andrew Scott, and Bobby Cannavale are all very good alongside Hawke, and Linklater does well to keep the pace moving. Fans of small scale dramas like this will definitely enjoy Blue Moon. Sony’s Blu-ray has solid technical specs, but is sparse on supplements.

The film can be purchased at www.moviezyng.com.