Blue Moon

Watched at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

A good charming and funny dialogue driven story about a self-destructive artist and character study with a wonderful performance from Ethan Hawke.

Richard Linklater is a master of dialogue driven storytelling and character study, and here, he continues to demonstrate and display his strong tactics with his direction for the atmosphere and tone. Alongside with the beautiful production designs and the setting, as usual, the dialogue is charming. The way characters interact with one another and the chemistry between the cast brings out a lot of funny moments, strong chemistry and energy. All thanks to the great performance from Hawke, Andrew Scott, Margaret Qualley and the rest of the cast.

The narrative, while admittedly it isn't the grandest story ever to be constructed, is a good observation about Lorenz Hart and his mental self-awarenwss crisis during the opening of his famous play. Understanding his emotions and the tension was pretty interesting and engaging to observe. The musicial score is good, the camera work is good, and the atmosphere is stunning. Although I do wish some of the pacing does improve especially towards the second act.

Overall, while it isn't the best work Linklater has made. Its a good hangout kind movie.

Blue Moon You saw me standin' alone Without a dream in my heart Without a love of my own

Ethan Hawke makes himself almost unrecognizable to play Lorenz Hart, the man who wrote those words.

Hart was five-feet tall, balding, a cigar always in his mouth, his back so curved his chin barely clears the bar at Sardi's where he spends most of the movie "Blue Moon" yakking away. His sad - if witty and sometimes brilliant - monologues are performed for bartender Eddie (Bobby Cannavale), piano player Knuckles (Jonah Lees) and assorted folks who stop by the legendary Broadway celebrity hangout one fateful night in 1943.

Showcasing the alcoholism and other sorts of self-destructiveness that would kill him at age 48 seven months later, it's a daring, all-in performance by Hawke. It's already getting buzz this awards season.

Whether or not it nabs an Oscar nomination or two, it won't win many hearts in audiences looking for a fun night out at the movies.

With composer Richard Rodgers providing the melodies, Lorenz Hart penned the sophisticated lyrics of countless Great American Songbook staples. Along with the movie's title tune, there was "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered." "My Romance." "Manhattan." "My Heart Stood Still." "The Lady Is a Tramp." And on. And on ... close to a thousand songs.

For two decades Rogers and Hart were a dynamic duo on Broadway and Hollywood. Piano bar songs on the soundtrack offer nonstop tribute to their musical glories, with echoes of contemporaries like the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin and even George M. Cohan.

Unfortunately, Robert Kaplow's script doesn't immortalize Lorenz Hart for all his achievements, but instead, for being the man who didn't write "Oklahoma!" Richard Linklater is once again Ethan Hawke's go-to director, confining the film's action essentially to one set, unfolding in something like real time on the night of March 31, 1943. For America, in those uncertain early years of World War II, that was the night "Oklahoma!" opened on Broadway and changed everything.

Rodgers and Hart were still a team when they began adapting the play "Green Grow the Lilacs" into a musical. Unfortunately, Hart's habit of going on weeks-long benders instead of showing up for work finally pushed Rodgers to his breaking point. As luck would have it, another lyricist was available. His name was Oscar Hammerstein II.

The rest, as they say, would become history, not just on Broadway but on community theater and high school stages to this day.

Lorenz Hart was in the audience for "Oklahoma!'s" opening night. But the corn as high as an elephant's eye, not to mention the dancing cowboys and the exclamation mark at the end of the title were more than his urbane Manhattan sensibilities could take. So he retreated to Sardi's for some lubricated self-pity an hour before the creators of the show, along with adoring first nighters would arrive to await the reviews.

Those reviews proved to be raves, hardly a recipe for improving Lorenz Hart's state of mind. His conversations with Richard Rodgers (Adam Scott), basking in triumph, are heartbreaking.

Among all the self-deceptions Hart concocts to help make it through the night, is his torrid passion for Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley), an aspiring stage artist and daughter of the president of the theater guild. Half his age and his devoted protege, her final admission that she doesn't have those feelings for him is just one more knife in the heart.

The fact that Hart was, in fact, gay in those closeted times certainly wouldn't do much to change those feelings on Elizabeth's part. But when he confides to Richard Rodgers that he is in love with her - "everyone is" - he speaks from the heart.

Insecurities, self-doubt and fear are as integral to the creative process as the exhilaration and joy of success. Hawke's portrayal uniquely illustrates the torture not of a has-been, but of what could have been.

Following last year's brilliant Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," "Blue Moon" is a reminder that creative genius is not something that a handful of people possess ... but something more akin to a curse that possesses them.

Lorenz Hart was a lover of love, an appreciator of beauty, a chaser of make-believe. Unfortunately, the ability to find perfect words for these wonderful emotions doesn't translate into finding them in real life.

"Blue Moon" is quintessentially Richard Linklater. A film with heavy dialogue but rich in character and depth.

Some might call this film boring, but what helps keep engagement levels is a strong performance by Ethan Hawke accompanied by a decently written screenplay.

The entire film feels like a theatre play brought to life on the big screen. It takes place in one bar but manoeuvers through conversations with different characters each with their own quirk.

I think what makes this film shine is Lorenz Harz (Hawke). A poor soul at the end of his time clinging to his past successes. A lonely man wanting love. As a film progresses, we learn more about our main character increasing our empathy and sadness for him.

In saying this, it is a film that struggles to reach the heights to call it a masterpiece. I feel like it's structure and style hinders it's ability in doing so.

I also will mention that I think Margaret Qualley was not strong enough in the female lead. With someone with not much dialogue, I felt like a stronger presence was needed to bring her character to life.

All in all, a decent movie but nothing to get too excited about.

7/10.

Blue Moon (2025) is a biographical comedy drama movie directed by Richard Linklater and it follows a songwriter as he reflects on himself on the opening night of Oklahoma!, a new musical by his former colleague. This is a movie that I had my eye on for a while because of Richard Linklater and the movie was really good.

Positives for Blue Moon (2025): I like the initial setup and premise of the movie taking place in one setting and having characters talk about stuff. I also liked the costumes design and makeup to have these people look like they're from a different decade. The acting from the cast is really good specifically Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Scott. The pacing is really good and it feels like the movie is taking it's time with the storytelling. And finally, the old school music is really good.

Negatives for Blue Moon (2025): Aside from seeing these characters talk about music, nothing else really happens in the movie. I did enjoy seeing these people talk, but it was just that for 100 minutes. I also don't see this movie work for casual audiences at all. And finally, I was waiting for something big to happen and nothing happened.

Overall, Blue Moon (2025) is a great movie that will be enjoyed by fans of Richard Linklater, but casual fans will have a hard time getting invested which is fine because this movie isn't for them. I would recommend this if you're a fan of Richard Linklater and the story.

Ethan Hawke shines in Blue Moon, Richard Linklater's poetic portrayal of lyricist Lorenz Hart's final years. Rather than a standard biopic, the film unfolds as a lyrical reflection on genius, loneliness, and self-destruction. Hawke captures Hart's brilliance and fragility with moving subtlety, while Andrew Scott and Margaret Qualley lend depth and emotional balance. Rich in nostalgia and artistry, Blue Moon resonates with anyone who loves Broadway's golden era, New York's melancholy charm, and the bittersweet cost of creativity. I would recommend this movie to fans of Ethan Hawke. This films touches on unrequited love, alcoholism and how that hurts your public life. It is about how self destruction can effect you in many ways.