A snapshot of a song writer is the basis for Blue Moon, a character study brought to life with an impeccable performance by Ethan Hawke.
The life of lyricist Lorenz Hart is examined one evening in 1943 during an opening night performance of Oklahoma! which is the first musical of his musical partner Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) and Oscar Hammerstein. An alcoholic, Hart yearns to continue his partnership with Rodgers which produced some of the greatest songs of the twentieth century +also flirts with his protégé, Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley), and commiserates with bartender Eddie (Bobby Cannivale). As the show ends and the flowing reviews emerge, Hart must face a world at war whose musical tastes are changing.
Robert Kaplow’s witty screenplay captures a bittersweet moment in Hart’s life, a turning point where his career is in decline and his health sabotaged by his own vices. He is portrayed as a man with a huge ego who could be carefree and at times reckless whose yearnings and self-destructive behavior are at odds. With a strong supporting cast, there are amusing ‘Easter eggs’ with author E. B. White and a boy named Steve who can only be Stephen Sondheim!
The
film does feel restricted in its limited
setting mostly at a bar and relying on Hawke who features in every scene,
but he carries the film admirably. Seemingly adapted from a play, conceivably,
it could easily transition to the stage. This marks the ninth collaboration between Hawke and director Richard Linklater
(Boyhood, Before Sunrise), and it
shows no sign of slowing down. Like
Rodgers and Hart, they make great music together.
****1/2
of ***** stars Netflix
No comments:
Post a Comment