Ethan Hawke Shines in a Bewitching ‘Blue Moon’
Is there a cost to creative partnership? If Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke’s latest collaboration, Blue Moon, is any hint, that cost yields something remarkable. The film is understated yet vivid, carried by a precise script and powerful acting.
“Blue Moon,” the newest film from frequent collaborators Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke, is a wonderful product inspired by true events.
Story and Setting
The narrative unfolds almost entirely on March 31, 1943, inside Manhattan’s legendary Sardi’s restaurant. That same night, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s Oklahoma! celebrates its triumphant premiere. Amid the festivities, Lorenz Hart, portrayed by Hawke, finds himself battling inner turmoil while the rest of Broadway rejoices.
Performances and Direction
Linklater, known for directing Hawke in Boyhood and the Before trilogy, turns his focus to a more intimate, single-location story. The shift from sprawling timelines to a constrained setting enhances the film’s theatrical tone. Hawke and Linklater’s shared intellectual sensibility and artistic chemistry bring exceptional depth to each scene.
Visual and Artistic Style
Blue Moon dazzles visually with its stylish lighting and elegant period costumes, capturing the vibrant essence of 1940s New York. Linklater’s signature close-quarters direction allows the film to feel both cinematic and stage-like at once.
Review Summary
The result is a compelling, elegant portrait of artistic struggle and human vulnerability. Blue Moon earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for its thoughtful writing, rich atmosphere, and magnetic performances.
Author’s Summary: Hawke and Linklater deliver a visually striking, emotionally resonant drama set in 1940s Manhattan that melds stage intimacy with cinematic brilliance.