BLUE MOON Blu-Ray Review

by Giovanni Mattera

BLUE MOON sets out to be an intimate character study of lyricist Lorenz Hart, one half of the legendary Rodgers and Hart songwriting duo.

Directed by Richard Linklater and starring Ethan Hawke, the film positions itself as a theatrical meditation on artistic insecurity, romantic frustration, and the emotional cost of genius. In practice, however, it feels less like a cinematic portrait and more like a stage exercise that never fully justifies its move to the screen.

Historically, Lorenz Hart was a brilliant but deeply troubled figure. He possessed immense wit and verbal dexterity but struggled with alcoholism, depression, and feelings of inadequacy, particularly about his short stature and unfulfilled romantic life. BLUE MOON fixates heavily on these traits, especially Hart’s height and his resentment toward the world around him. What could have been textured psychological insight instead becomes a repetitive thematic crutch. The film seems almost obsessed with reminding us of Hart’s bitterness and self loathing, as though these qualities alone define his identity.

Ethan Hawke delivers a committed and technically impressive performance. There is no question that he throws himself into the role with emotional intensity and theatrical bravado. Yet the performance ultimately feels constrained by the material. The dialogue rarely rings true as lived in human speech. Instead, it carries the cadence and self conscious cleverness of writing designed for a stage audience rather than for a camera. Conversations feel sculpted to be heard rather than felt.

This stylistic choice reveals the film’s central weakness. It plays like a one man theatrical showcase that resists cinematic engagement. Linklater has often excelled at talk driven films where dialogue flows naturally and builds intimacy, but here the words feel performative rather than organic. The result is a work that becomes quickly monotonous. There is only so long an audience can remain invested in a character defined almost exclusively by self absorption, jealousy, and melancholy.

What begins as an exploration of artistic pain slowly turns into an endurance test of emotional stasis. Hart’s misery is presented without sufficient variation or evolution, leaving the film emotionally flat despite its constant motion of speech. The lack of visual dynamism and narrative progression makes the experience feel static and, at times, draining.

As someone who deeply admires Ethan Hawke and is always curious to see what risks he takes, I wanted this film to win me over. Instead, BLUE MOON felt like a project more interested in theatrical affectation than cinematic storytelling. It may appeal to viewers who favor stage drama or literary character studies, but for those seeking emotional involvement or narrative momentum, it is likely to feel distant and uninvolving.

In the end, BLUE MOON is not without ambition or talent, but its narrow emotional register and self conscious style render it more tiresome than illuminating. What should have been a rich portrait of a complicated artist instead becomes a showcase of cleverness that never quite translates into insight. For all its talk of heartbreak, the film never truly breaks through to something human and resonant.