Blue Moon: A Brilliant Performance Nearly Saves a Lackluster Screenplay (Blu-ray)

The Film:

Five-time Oscar-nominated writer/director Richard Linklater has given us quite a few unforgettable outings over the years, many of them with fellow five-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke, including the marvelous "Before Trilogy" and "Boyhood." For the most part, these have been quiet, dignified, yet highly-impactful journeys that keep the audience enthralled due to the strong writing & wonderful performances, which makes it thrilling to see them team up for yet another feature entitled "Blue Moon." However, this time, the project hails from first-time screenwriter Robert Kaplow, an author primarily known for the novel "Me and Orson Welles," which was adapted into a film in 2008. Will Linklater & Hawke be able to continue their incredible streak with a new screenwriter looped into their collaboration, or will this be the first one to bring about a bit of disappointment?

Taking place on March 31, 1943, we primarily follow famed lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) on the opening night of "Oklahoma!," the new musical from his former collaborator Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott), who shares credit with Oscar Hammerstein II (Simon Delaney). Hart arrives at Sardi's, where a celebration is to take place for the show, but in the meantime, he chats with the bartender, Eddie (Bobby Cannavale), and the piano player, Morty (Jonah Lees). He discusses the musical, which he had declined to write, his career, and his hopes for finally being able to win the heart of Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley), a young woman that he is infatuated with. As the night goes on, he confronts Rodgers in the hope of being able to reconnect for a new collaboration, while also trying to find the right time to express his feelings to Elizabeth, but as he soon finds out, things aren't going to go exactly the way he planned.

"Blue Moon" is best described as a chamber piece in which we follow around the film's main character as he interacts with others over the duration of this one evening, confined almost entirely to a single location. Because of this, the emphasis is going to fall heavily on the dialogue, which is not only going to have to move things forward, but also be engaging enough for the audience to remain interested in the characters & the event the film is trying to depict.

Sadly, that's where the film begins to stumble very early on as it gives Hawke a multitude of monologues to deliver that simply aren't all that interesting. The film does have a few moments of inspiration throughout, including Hart's exchanges with his former partner Richard Rodgers and his attempts to stay cordial regarding "Oklahoma!", but for the most part, it's mainly a series of the aforementioned rambling monologues that don't seem to get anywhere, with Margaret Qualley's Elizabeth joining in during the third act. As a result, it makes this 90-some minute endeavor feel much longer than it actually is, which is not to say that it's particularly bad, but more so that it was going to need a little more substance if it was going to be successful as a film. Indeed, one even gets the strong feeling that they're actually watching a play rather than a movie, making you wonder if this outing might have worked better on a stage instead.

That said, the element that very nearly saves it, regardless of the somewhat lackluster screenplay, is Ethan Hawke's brilliant performance. His charm & charisma carry the film quite a long way, so much so that, even when he goes off on yet another rambling monologue, you can't help but be drawn in by his incredible delivery of the dialogue, complete with mannerisms that show how much work he put into forming this real-life character. It's hardly a wonder that he's been nominated for every major award throughout the current award season. It's simply a spellbinding performance, though one that makes you wish it had been served by a better script (one that was curiously nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, despite being the film's biggest issue).

In the end, "Blue Moon" will merely be remembered as the film in which Hawke delivers perhaps the best performance of his career, but sadly not for much else, if anything. It was certainly a fascinating idea to follow Hart around for this particularly special evening to see how he would react to the new musical & being reunited with his former collaborator, but again, it needed a slightly bigger dose of substance to help carry it through its full 90-ish minutes, ultimately leaving us with a brilliant turn trapped within a somewhat empty chamber piece.

Video/Audio:

"Blue Moon" comes to Blu-ray in a 2.39:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of outstanding quality. The picture is beautifully sharp & clear throughout its entire 100-minute duration, perfectly highlighting the film's wonderful period details. Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD MA track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue & music in excellent quality. Overall, Sony Pictures Classics has done a wonderful job in both areas for the film's physical debut.

Special Features:

None.

Conclusion:

Richard Linklater's "Blue Moon" may contain a brilliant, career-defining performance from Ethan Hawke, but sadly it's let down by a rather lackluster screenplay that features far too few moments of true inspiration, ultimately resulting in a somewhat forgettable chamber piece that could have worked on the stage, but which needed a little more substance to have a chance of being a successful film.

Score: 3/5

Now available on Blu-ray.

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