In the world of biopics, there are the conventional and the lesser so. When thinking of the conventional, your mind might wander to the likes of “A Complete Unknown,” “The Theory of Everything,” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” When thinking of the less conventional, you might then think of “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” “Man on the Moon,” or “Rocketman.” Richard Linklater’s (“School of Rock,” “Dazed and Confused”) latest film, “Blue Moon,” sits squarely in the latter camp, having plenty of fun with various famous faces and speculative “what ifs” while trying to do its subject as much justice as it can.
On March 31st 1943, Lorenz Hart, played by Ethan Hawke (“Dead Poets Society,” “Training Day”), is sitting in Sardi’s bar awaiting the end of the debut performance of Oklahoma! across the street. He makes conversation with Eddie, played by Bobby Cannavale (“The Station Agent,” “I, Tonya”), the bartender as the two wax poetic about film and musicals as Lorenz waits for Richard Rodgers, played by Andrew Scott (“Fleabag,” “All of Us Strangers”), his former collaborator who’s just written Oklaholma! with Oscar Hammerstein II, played by Simon Delaney (“The Conjuring 2,” “Delivery Man”), and Elizabeth Weiland, played by Margaret Qualley (“The Leftovers,” “The Substance”), a young twenty-year-old college student Hart finds himself infatuated with.
Where Linklater and screenwriter Robert Kaplow play with the biopic convention in this tale is in the basic concept. While Hart certainly frequented Sardie’s, as many in the Broadway sphere did at this time, this film takes liberties with this particular night. It’s similar in construction to “One Night in Miami...” in that way, imagining what conversations might have been had and who they might have been had with. Some of these moments are charming, and others almost feel too winking; author E.B. White, played briefly by Patrick Kennedy (“Miss Marx,” “Mrs. Wilson”), appears for a bit as Hart regals a tale of a small mouse to him, even naming him “Stuart,” implying Hart was the reason behind White’s best-known work “Stuart Little.”
Linklater has chocked this bottle-episode of a film full of character actors and supporting players that clearly are having a blast diving into Kaplow’s dialogue. Qualley is a bombshell delight, with a bleached blonde bob and an energy that makes her seem as though she’s stepped right out of the 1940s herself. Cannavale might be just a bartender, but he has the easy charm and calmness of a seasoned mixer and drunken confidant. Delaney gets less time to work with, but he’s nevertheless a bright spot. Scott meanwhile makes the most of his moments, lighting up the screen in each scene opposite Hawke.
Speaking of him, Hawke is on a completely different level though. He takes what could easily have been a caricature or borderline cartoonish kind of performance and delivery into a soulful portray of a downtrodden artist. There’s a deep sadness on display that never overwhelms the core of creativity and spirit that bubbles over each time he speaks to someone. It’s a true career high performance for an actor who already has so many under his belt.
Graham Reynolds’ (“Bernie,” “Before Midnight”) musical score decorates the simple cinematography from Shane F. Kelly (“Boyhood,” “Everybody Wants Some!”) in a light piano melody, supplemented with various Rodgers and Hart tunes throughout, as the bar slowly fills with people. It’s a simple film by design, and the unobtrusive camerawork allows Hawke’s performance, the supporting cast, and the script to shine in each moment. This simplicity is the film’s biggest detriment however; for as good as the performances and script are, it has a slightness to everything that makes it hard to truly stick firm in one’s mind. This isn’t to dampen any of the performers, simply the gamble of an aesthetic choice like this.
“Blue Moon” is a sweet, simple film with a powerhouse lead performance at its center. Linklater’s entire cast is game and ready to perform this chamber piece with gusto and energy. It looks and sounds gorgeous, turning almost one lone location into a grandstand stage for its central role in spite of its slightness. It’s virtually impossible to argue that the film isn’t worth your time with Hawke leading it. But, like Hart himself, how long it’ll stick in your memory will vary. 4/5
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