Blue Moon

VIFF REVIEW: BY DARREN ZAKUS

October 10, 2025

4.5 OUT OF 5 STARS

Blue Moon is heartbreaking exploration of a legendary Broadway songwriter that soars due to the fantastic performance of Ethan Hawke as Lorenz Hart that brings to life Robert Kaplow’s screenplay with a magnetic wit and charm, energizing a dialogue heavy script reflecting on life, unrequited love, art and music, making Richard Linklater’s latest one of the best films of the year!

Not only are audiences being treated to two films from Richard Linklater this fall, but both films are revolving are historic artists. While Nouvelle Vague is an ode to French New Wave cinema and Jean Luc Godard’s creation of Breathless, Blue Moon immerses viewers in the lyrics of 1943 Broadway on the opening of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at the historic Sardis restaurant focusing on lyricist Lorenz Hart, the first writing partner of Richard Rodgers. With Ethan Hawke lighting up the screen as Hart with a mesmerizing performance that propels the entire film, making this all talking single location film an engrossing experience as Linklater and screenwriter Robert Kaplow explore life, love, language and music on a night than changed the trajectory of Broadway musicals forever, Blue Moon is nothing short of a stunning film that is equally as beautiful as it is devastating with a cinematic magic that only Linklater could conjure.

For films that rely solely on dialogue, the film’s success hangs on thematic discussion being explored in the film. Exploring art, creativity, life and unrequited love in a series of discussions, Linklater and Kaplow weave an engaging, hilarious, vulnerable and soul searching tale as Hart battles alcoholism, mental health struggles and the petrifying notion that his writing partner is going to flourish without him and not need him anymore. It’s an engrossing exploration of art, what makes a memorable line and the changing tastes of audiences as Hart’s own hubris and cynicism refuses to admit that Rodgers’ Oklahoma! is what audiences deserve as he thinks from a creative point of view that it is pandering and not challenging enough for audiences. With conversations with author E. B. White revolving around writing, discussions about the memorable lines from Casablanca, quippy remarks about the lyrics of Oklahoma!, and even joking conversation about good pickup lines, there is no shortage of wordsmithing analysis as Hart’s way with words dominates the film. But once Rodgers, Hammerstein and their entourage arrive from the premiere of Oklahoma! at Sardis, the conversation transitions to discussions of legacy, the direction of artistic expression, and unrequited love, shifting from the film’s quite humorous first half into a more emotionally vulnerable second act where the audience becomes painfully in tune with Hart’s internal reckoning as he realizes he is being left behind by his peers. Under Linklater’s direction, being no stranger to dialogue heavy films, the conversations become enthralling with that unique Linklater tone that champions the exceptional writing of Kaplow throughout.

Hawke and Linklater have been making films together for decades, with the two of them reuniting for Blue Moon as their ninth collaboration together. As Lorentz Hart, Hawke is delivering quickly paced dialogue throughout the entire film with a vibrant love of life, art, music and words, bursting with energy and a twinkle in his eye that displays Hart’s genius and talents. With the words rolling off his tongue like song lyrics, paired with an energetic and dynamic rhythm that energizes every scene, and a great sense of comedy when required, Hawke is magnetic for every second of the film (as there is not a moment where he is not on screen). Indulging in Hart’s own vices, his alcoholism and obsession with Elizabeth Weiland despite the audience immediately knowing that his romantic love for her is not reciprocated, Hawke creates a heartbreaking portrayal of this artist desperately trying to hold onto his prime and not show his own self-implosion as his former writing partner reaches new and highly praised heights without him. Beneath the charisma, wit and countless passes Hart makes to the members of the younger generation flexing his celebrity status, Hawke finds a vulnerable desperation within Hart of a man trying to maintain his legendary status as one of American theatre’s most renowned lyricists, turning the film into a quiet and devastating portrait of a legend of musical theatre despite his industry having moved on without him. Without hesitation, it is one of the best performances of the year that showcases Hawke’s unbound talents as an actor with a soulful performance that is deeply moving and every bit as worthy of his talents as a performer.

As dynamic and captivating Hawke is as Hart, his performance would fall on deaf ears if his talents were not matched by the supporting cast, but when the supporting cast features Andrew Scott, Margaret Qualley and Bobby Cannavale, that is not an issue. Cannavale has never been better cast in his entire career than here as Eddie, the bartender working at Sardis, matching Hawke’s quick tempo with that insight and façade piercing wisdom that cuts through Hart’s façade and challenges his internal struggles with no nonsense and compassion. Scott is charming as Richard Rodgers, capturing the gleeful Broadway icon on one of the biggest nights of his career, excited for the future potential alongside his new writing partner Oscar Hammerstein II. At the same time, there is a delicacy Scott brings to Rodgers through his facial expressions, vocal tone and body language as he tries to tactfully indulge and shake off Hart without devastating his longtime friend due to his undeniable respect for Hart’s genius and hesitancy to inflame Hart’s struggles while trying to prevent Hart from ruining his big night.

Qualley is her usual bubbly self as Elizabeth Weiland, the young woman who has caught Hart’s eye, effortlessly capturing a young ingenue presence with a intelligence as she opens up to Hart, creating a beautiful yet heartbreaking dynamic with Hawke as you know each other does not see their relationship as the other does. And while he has a smaller role with less talking, there is no denying the wonderful performance from Jonah Lees as Morty Rifkin, with the exciting on screen chemistry he develops with Hawke and Cannavale as the young piano player picking Hart’s musical wisdom. Lees infuses Rifkin with an intimate starstruckness as he tries to hone his own musical skills, and an undeniable charm and great singing voice that rounds out the film’s ensemble perfectly.

To make Hawke, a five foot ten inches tall man, transform into Hart, a significantly shorter man, the camera angles are purposefully chosen to give the illusion of a shorter stature, as well as the set being specifically constructed to give the same illusion. The set design itself recreates Sardis so that any Broadway fan can instantly recognize the location with a simplicity but featuring the iconic caricatures of Broadway stars on the walls, while carefully constructed to allow the camera to fluidly move throughout the restaurant and follow Hart on that night with long camera takes, giving a real time feel that lets this chamber drama come to life on screen. Though there is a traditional musical score, it is the piano covers of Hart and Hammerstein songs from Lees’ Morty that fill the film and situate Linklater’s production in the time period, perfectly choosing “Blue Moon” to end the film which gives a bitter sweet melodic ending to Hart’s story in this film. And with Linklater behind the camera, evoking terrific performances from the entire cast and making sure there is no detail out of place in his production, it’s a top tier achievement from one of the most respected filmmakers currently working. 

Lyrically weaving gripping dialogue exploring the arts, life and love, Richard Linklater has not only conjured a wonderful character study of legendary Broadway lyricist Lorentz Hart in Blue Moon, but a show-stopping showcase for Ethan Hawke’s talents. While Robert Kaplow’s exceptional screenplay explores the film’s many themes with a grace, intelligence and emotional vulnerability that creates a painful portrait of an artist grasping to hold onto his prime despite the world moving on, it is the spellbinding performance of Ethan Hawke and the terrific supporting cast of Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Scott, Jonah Lees and Margaret Qualley that immerses the audience in this character study and never for a second is constrained by its single location setting or purely talking nature. Under the ever talented direction of Richard Linklater who has a magical ability of turning purely talking films into some of the most captivating conversations to grace the silver screen that has the audience hanging on every word, not only does Blue Moon become an outstanding cinematic experience that will have audiences simultaneously laughing, lost in thought with the thematic exploration, and having their heart broken with Lorenz Hart’s story, but thanks to one of the best performances of Ethan Hawke’s career, Blue Moon cements itself as one of the best films of the year!