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Separating from the more famous colleague in a entertainment double act is a dangerous endeavor. Comedian Larry David went through it. The same for Musician Andrew Ridgeley. Presently, this humorous and profoundly melancholic intimate film from scriptwriter Robert Kaplow and filmmaker Richard Linklater recounts the all but unbearable tale of musical theater lyricist the lyricist Lorenz Hart just after his split from Richard Rodgers. His role is portrayed with campy brilliance, an notable toupee and simulated diminutiveness by actor Ethan Hawke, who is often technologically minimized in size – but is also at times shot standing in an unseen pit to gaze upward sadly at taller characters, confronting Hart's height issue as actor José Ferrer once played the small-statured artist Toulouse-Lautrec.

Multifaceted Role and Themes

Hawke gets big, world-weary laughs with the character's witty comments on the concealed homosexuality of the movie Casablanca and the cheesily upbeat musical he recently attended, with all the rope-spinning ranch hands; he sarcastically dubs it Okla-gay. The orientation of Lorenz Hart is complex: this movie clearly contrasts his queer identity with the non-queer character invented for him in the 1948 musical the musical Words and Music (with Mickey Rooney playing Lorenz Hart); it cleverly extrapolates a kind of dual attraction from Hart’s letters to his protege: young Yale student and budding theater artist the character Elizabeth Weiland, portrayed in this film with carefree youthful femininity by the performer Margaret Qualley.

As part of the legendary musical theater composing duo with the composer Rodgers, Lorenz Hart was in charge of incomparable songs like The Lady Is a Tramp, the number Manhattan, the beloved My Funny Valentine and of course the titular Blue Moon. But annoyed at Hart’s alcoholism, unreliability and melancholic episodes, Rodgers broke with him and partnered with Oscar Hammerstein II to compose Oklahoma! and then a multitude of theater and film hits.

Emotional Depth

The film imagines the deeply depressed Lorenz Hart in the musical Oklahoma!'s first-night NYC crowd in 1943, gazing with envious despair as the show proceeds, loathing its bland sentimentality, hating the exclamation mark at the conclusion of the name, but dishearteningly conscious of how extremely potent it is. He realizes a smash when he views it – and senses himself falling into defeat.

Before the interval, Lorenz Hart unhappily departs and goes to the tavern at the venue Sardi's where the remainder of the movie takes place, and waits for the (inevitably) triumphant Oklahoma! company to show up for their after-party. He is aware it is his performance responsibility to praise Rodgers, to feign things are fine. With smooth moderation, actor Andrew Scott plays Richard Rodgers, evidently ashamed at what they both know is Hart's embarrassment; he gives a pacifier to his ego in the appearance of a short-term gig writing new numbers for their ongoing performance the musical A Connecticut Yankee, which just exacerbates the situation.

• Bobby Cannavale portrays the bartender who in standard fashion listens sympathetically to Hart's monologues of bitter despondency
• The thespian Patrick Kennedy acts as EB White, to whom Lorenz Hart inadvertently provides the idea for his kids' story Stuart Little
• The actress Qualley plays the character Weiland, the unattainably beautiful Ivy League pupil with whom the picture imagines Lorenz Hart to be complicatedly and self-harmingly in adoration

Lorenz Hart has earlier been rejected by Rodgers. Surely the cosmos wouldn't be that brutal as to have him dumped by Weiland as well? But Margaret Qualley mercilessly depicts a youthful female who wants Hart to be the laughing, platonic friend to whom she can confide her experiences with young men – as well of course the theater industry influencer who can further her career.

Standout Roles

Hawke shows that Lorenz Hart somewhat derives voyeuristic pleasure in listening to these young men but he is also authentically, mournfully enamored with Weiland and the movie reveals to us a factor seldom addressed in movies about the world of musical theatre or the films: the terrible overlap between career and love defeat. Nevertheless at some level, Lorenz Hart is boldly cognizant that what he has accomplished will persist. It’s a terrific performance from Hawke. This may turn into a live show – but who shall compose the songs?

Blue Moon was shown at the London cinema festival; it is out on October 17 in the USA, the 14th of November in the United Kingdom and on January 29 in Australia.