music

Blue Moon (2025, directed by the prolific and brilliant Richard Linklater) takes place almost entirely over one evening in 1943, as lyricist Lorenz Hart drinks and broods in the legendary Broadway restaurant Sardi’s, while the opening night of Oklahoma! unfolds nearby. The musical marks a triumphant new partnership between Hart’s former collaborator Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, leaving Hart to confront the painful feeling that his best days are gone and the world is moving on without him.

Ethan Hawke is nervily terrific as Hart, transforming the character’s wit, bitterness and restless energy into a defence against loneliness and artistic insecurity. The film is driven by rapid-fire dialogue and lengthy monologues, but the masterful Linklater keeps it lively and funny at all times, ably assisted by a supporting cast that includes Andrew Scott, Margaret Qualley and Bobby Cannavale.