Ethan Hawke shines in a bewitching 'Blue Moon’ - The Ithacan

Ethan Hawke Shines in a Bewitching "Blue Moon"

Is there a price to creative partnership? If “Blue Moon,” the latest collaboration between Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke, is any indication, that price leads to a beautifully crafted work. The film’s simplicity is elevated by a precise script and outstanding performances, earning it a notable 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Storyline and Setting

Inspired by real events, the film unfolds almost entirely on March 31, 1943, at the legendary Sardi’s restaurant in Manhattan. The premiere of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s “Oklahoma!” has just ended in triumph, yet the evening feels somber for Lorenz Hart (played by Hawke), once Rodgers’s partner in songwriting. While the theater community celebrates a landmark night for American musical history, Hart faces the ghosts of his own past and creative struggles.

Direction and Collaboration

Linklater and Hawke, known for their previous collaborations such as “Boyhood” and the “Before” trilogy, shift gears here from expansive storytelling to an intimate, tightly focused narrative. Despite this smaller scale, the film delivers no less emotional and artistic satisfaction. Their shared intellectual style merges seamlessly, enriching the film’s reflective tone and historical texture.

Visual Style

Visually, “Blue Moon” dazzles with stylish lighting and elegant 1940s costumes that intensify its nostalgic allure. Linklater’s signature close-up direction and use of a single primary location lend the film an almost stage-like atmosphere, heightening its sense of immediacy and emotional depth.

“Blue Moon” brings together two accomplished artists in a deeply resonant meditation on creativity, loss, and partnership.

Rating

Author’s summary: A thoughtful, elegantly staged tribute to artistic partnership, “Blue Moon” captures the pain and brilliance behind creative collaboration in 1940s New York.

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The Ithacan The Ithacan — 2025-11-03

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