‘Blue Moon’ Review: Ethan Hawke Solidifies His National Treasure Status

Blue Moon is about Lorenz Hart, an alcoholic babbling songwriter, on the opening night of musical Oklahoma! Set at the after party, the film is a classic hangout movie that follows Hart trying to save face as he reckons with his prime ending and self-confidence faltering. Filled to the brim with clever dialogue and pitch-perfect performances, Blue Moon is a true underrated gem of this year. Sure to charm you, while also making you feel a deep sadness for a man weighed down by the constricting nature of time passing and leaving you behind. Read our full review for Blue Moon below. 

The main takeaway that most audiences will have from Blue Moon is that Ethan Hawke is giving one of his best performances of his career. The entirety of the film is Hawke giving monologue after monologue with perfect precision, wit, and understanding of who the character is. Within minutes of the film starting you are given a well-rounded understanding of who Lorenz Hart is due to how expertly he is played by Hawke. If Hawke was not as charismatic in the part the film would be nearly insufferable, because his character basically talks the entire time. Lorenz Hart is such a complex character that masks how he is feeling the only way he knows how, with words. You are seeing Blue Moon not only for an excellent movie, but to see a great actor in his prime. Personally I am pleading with every awards body to give this performance the recognition it deserves. I am also happy to say that the supporting cast are just as good as Hawke. Margaret Qualley specifically is giving a really alluring and deep performance that matches the energy of Hawke flawlessly. She is definitely the standout of the supporting cast for me, with Andrew Scott feeling a little underutilized yet still holding his own. 

This year, Richard Linklater set his sights on capturing the past. With Nouvelle Vague he beautifully depicted the making of Breathless in the same French New Wave style as the original film and in Blue Moon he creates a delicious hangout movie with some of the best dialogue of his career. Linklater has always been interested in the confines of time and how that affects life, cinema, and everything. These two outings this year fit perfectly into his catalogue. Blue Moon specifically attempts to show how time is not as kind on some as it is on others. Lorenz Hart had a successful career that solidified him as a prominent voice in American songwriting, but near the end of his life, time got the best of him. Now an alcoholic cynic who rambles and rambles about the past and what-ifs, he is a man stuck in a time that does not suit him. Though Blue Moon is filled with laughs and charm, at its core is a depiction of a sad man who is reckoning with being past his prime. The movie gives you a lot to chew on once the credits roll, making it one of the most memorable movies of the year for me. Due to its performances, dialogue, and Linklater’s signature examination of time. 

Blue Moon is directed by Richard Linklater and stars Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, and Andrew Scott. The film was released in theaters on October 24 and can now be rented on VOD. 

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