★ 7 / 10
If this doesn’t get Ethan Hawke some statuettes
CinemaSerf
If this doesn’t get Ethan Hawke some statuettes this coming winter, then I don’t know what will. He is on great form delivering a pithy series of monologues as…
If this doesn’t get Ethan Hawke some statuettes this coming winter, then I don’t know what will. He is on great form delivering a pithy series of monologues as if he really were the renowned lyricist Larry Hart. Most of this is told by way of his chat with his favourite barman “Eddie” (Bobby Cannavale) whilst he is waiting for the after show party for “Oklahoma!” to begin. He had famously worked with Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) for many a year, but this latter man had become tired of his booze-driven histrionics and so teamed up with Oscar Hammerstein II (Simon Delaney) for this latest offering. Now right from the start, I rather liked the enigmatic and flawed Hart. Not least because his critique on “Oklahoma!” is perfectly summed up by his description of an elephant marauding the corn fields of the USA getting poked in the eye by an ear. Just in case we do need some reminding of his previous successes, “Knuckles” (Jonah Lees), gently serenades us with some piano accompaniment as a few additional conversations with the likes of acclaimed writer EB White (Patrick Kennedy), his ambitious muse “Elizabeth” (Margaret Qualley) and, of course, with his erstwhile partner play out with varying degrees of honesty and/or self pity. I actually felt that though doubtless with just cause, it was Scott’s subtle yet devastatingly brutal effort as Rodgers that ensured that he actually came across as a rather unfeeling and ungrateful character as we all see the obvious despair on the face of an Hart who is struggling to deal with his isolation and his lack of relevance. How the mighty are falling. The dialogue is sharp and witty and the whole production shines quite a light on what it is to become yesterday’s man. There are allusions to his sexuality, but these are wrapped in a more sexually confused depiction of a man who felt that he could find beauty in man or woman, and again that ambiguity is well crafted by an Hawke who manages to combine our feelings of sympathy for his character with those of irritation. In many ways this looks like a cinema presentation of a theatrical enterprise, and is delivered in segments that could easily have been lifted directly from the stage, but in this case that structured form of scene-based storytelling seems all the more apposite and I really quite enjoyed this.
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★ 7 / 10
Lyricist Lorenz “Larry” Hart (1895-1943) may not be
Brent Marchant
Lyricist Lorenz “Larry” Hart (1895-1943) may not be a household name to many, but his voluminous catalog of works written with composer Richard Rodgers…
Lyricist Lorenz “Larry” Hart (1895-1943) may not be a household name to many, but his voluminous catalog of works written with composer Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) – a bona fide compendium of American musical standards – reads like a laundry list of this country’s most beloved favorites, including “The Lady is a Tramp,” “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” “My Funny Valentine,” “Isn’t It Romantic?” and, of course, the pair’s biggest sensation, “Blue Moon.” But, for all of Hart’s artistic successes, he led a turbulent professional life and a lonely, largely unhappy personal life, perhaps best exemplified by the events of March 31, 1943: opening night of the musical Oklahoma!, the smash hit collaboration of Rodgers and his new lyricist partner, Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960). Rodgers teamed up with his new colleague after Hart, a hopeless alcoholic, became too unreliable to work with. This change represented a devastating blow to the prolific lyricist, especially when the new duo’s musical was showered with rave reviews, the revelation of which Hart witnessed firsthand at the opening night party for the show, held at New York’s legendary Sardi’s restaurant. The foregoing events thus provide the foundation for director Richard Linklater’s latest offering, a re-creation of that evening’s tension-filled festivities in which a hapless and sometimes-hysterical Hart (Ethan Hawke) is buried under a pile of deflating professional disappointments, including emotionally intense exchanges with Rodgers (Andrew Scott) and a genial but largely unsuspecting Hammerstein (Simon Delaney). But, if that weren’t enough, Hart suffers personal setbacks, too, particularly in his efforts to win the affections of 20-year-old Yale co-ed Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley), a platonic friend whom the 47-year-old would-be suitor hopes will accept his sincere (albeit overzealous) romantic advances. (According to the film’s production notes, it’s not clear if Larry and Elizabeth actually met at this event, but the screenplay postulates what might have transpired if they had. And, even if they did, wooing her would have probably been a tall order for a “bachelor” widely believed to be closeted gay man, one of New York society’s biggest open secrets.) Through all of these ordeals, Hart struggles mightily to maintain his composure with an endless stream of shots, all the while pouring out his feelings to his friend and Sardi’s bartender Eddie (Bobby Cannavale), author and fellow restaurant patron E.B. “Andy” White (Patrick Kennedy), and barroom pianist Morty Rifkin (Jonah Lees). In telling this multilayered story, the dialogues among this cast of colorful cohorts cover a wide range of subjects and are tinged with an array of moods from bawdy to heartfelt to hilarious to cringeworthy, a true rollercoaster ride of emotions. However, what really brings this material to life is the depth of feeling exhibited by the gifted ensemble, especially Hawke, who handily delivers the best performance of his career, as well as fine turns by Qualley, Cannavale and Scott. And, even though the film is essentially shot on one set, the exquisite production design, with its re-creation of the legendary New York nightspot, keeps the picture fresh without ever appearing the least bit stagey. Of course, a movie about a musician wouldn’t be complete without a fitting score, as is the case here with its excellent repertoire of works featuring the likes of Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and, naturally, Rodgers & Hart. Admittedly, as the film plays out, some might see the narrative as somewhat repetitive and perhaps even exhausting to watch, contentions that arguably have some merit. Some have also criticized some of the picture’s open exchanges about homosexuality, something that likely wouldn’t have occurred in 1943, a time when same-sex acts were still criminal offenses that most closeted individuals wouldn’t have dared bring up in public. Nevertheless, “Blue Moon” is otherwise an absorbing tale, a tragedy in the truest sense of the word set against a prototypically American backdrop. It’s truly sad that someone who gave us so much also had to endure so much pain, even if some of it was self-inflicted. Indeed, under circumstances like these, then, it should come as no surprise that the moon in a setting as sad as this would be any color other than blue.
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★ 7 / 10
One night at Sardi's
rickchatenever
Blue Moon You saw me standin' alone Without a dream in my heart Without a love of my ownEthan Hawke makes himself almost unrecognizable to play Lorenz Hart…
Blue Moon
You saw me standin' alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my ownEthan Hawke makes himself almost unrecognizable to play Lorenz Hart, the man who wrote those words.Hart was five-feet tall, balding, a cigar always in his mouth, his back so curved his chin barely clears the bar at Sardi's where he spends most of the movie "Blue Moon" yakking away. His sad - if witty and sometimes brilliant - monologues are performed for bartender Eddie (Bobby Cannavale), piano player Knuckles (Jonah Lees) and assorted folks who stop by the legendary Broadway celebrity hangout one fateful night in 1943.Showcasing the alcoholism and other sorts of self-destructiveness that would kill him at age 48 seven months later, it's a daring, all-in performance by Hawke. It's already getting buzz this awards season.Whether or not it nabs an Oscar nomination or two, it won't win many hearts in audiences looking for a fun night out at the movies.With composer Richard Rodgers providing the melodies, Lorenz Hart penned the sophisticated lyrics of countless Great American Songbook staples. Along with the movie's title tune, there was "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered." "My Romance." "Manhattan." "My Heart Stood Still." "The Lady Is a Tramp." And on. And on ... close to a thousand songs.For two decades Rogers and Hart were a dynamic duo on Broadway and Hollywood. Piano bar songs on the soundtrack offer nonstop tribute to their musical glories, with echoes of contemporaries like the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin and even George M. Cohan.Unfortunately, Robert Kaplow's script doesn't immortalize Lorenz Hart for all his achievements, but instead, for being the man who didn't write "Oklahoma!"
Richard Linklater is once again Ethan Hawke's go-to director, confining the film's action essentially to one set, unfolding in something like real time on the night of March 31, 1943. For America, in those uncertain early years of World War II, that was the night "Oklahoma!" opened on Broadway and changed everything.Rodgers and Hart were still a team when they began adapting the play "Green Grow the Lilacs" into a musical. Unfortunately, Hart's habit of going on weeks-long benders instead of showing up for work finally pushed Rodgers to his breaking point. As luck would have it, another lyricist was available. His name was Oscar Hammerstein II.The rest, as they say, would become history, not just on Broadway but on community theater and high school stages to this day.Lorenz Hart was in the audience for "Oklahoma!'s" opening night. But the corn as high as an elephant's eye, not to mention the dancing cowboys and the exclamation mark at the end of the title were more than his urbane Manhattan sensibilities could take. So he retreated to Sardi's for some lubricated self-pity an hour before the creators of the show, along with adoring first nighters would arrive to await the reviews.Those reviews proved to be raves, hardly a recipe for improving Lorenz Hart's state of mind. His conversations with Richard Rodgers (Adam Scott), basking in triumph, are heartbreaking.Among all the self-deceptions Hart concocts to help make it through the night, is his torrid passion for Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley), an aspiring stage artist and daughter of the president of the theater guild. Half his age and his devoted protege, her final admission that she doesn't have those feelings for him is just one more knife in the heart.The fact that Hart was, in fact, gay in those closeted times certainly wouldn't do much to change those feelings on Elizabeth's part. But when he confides to Richard Rodgers that he is in love with her - "everyone is" - he speaks from the heart.Insecurities, self-doubt and fear are as integral to the creative process as the exhilaration and joy of success. Hawke's portrayal uniquely illustrates the torture not of a has-been, but of what could have been.Following last year's brilliant Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," "Blue Moon" is a reminder that creative genius is not something that a handful of people possess ... but something more akin to a curse that possesses them.Lorenz Hart was a lover of love, an appreciator of beauty, a chaser of make-believe. Unfortunately, the ability to find perfect words for these wonderful emotions doesn't translate into finding them in real life.
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@granular thats just factually wrong. His latest movies may not be his strongest ones, but he NEVER wanted to be one of these directors (Tarantino, really?) He had his own unique voice since first feature Slacker, a sort of "street philosopher" filmmaking. AND "Before" trilogy is probably the best thing that happened to romance genre in last 30 years. He definitely made some cult movies