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Parting ways from the more famous partner in a showbiz double act is a dangerous business. Comedian Larry David experienced it. The same for Musician Andrew Ridgeley. Presently, this witty and heartbreakingly sad small-scale drama from writer Robert Kaplow and helmer Richard Linklater recounts the almost agonizing account of musical theater lyricist the lyricist Lorenz Hart right after his breakup from composer Richard Rodgers. The character is acted with campy brilliance, an dreadful hairpiece and artificial shortness by Ethan Hawke, who is regularly digitally reduced in size – but is also at times recorded standing in an unseen pit to look up poignantly at taller characters, confronting the lyricist's stature problem as José Ferrer previously portrayed the small-statured artist Toulouse-Lautrec.

Complex Character and Themes

Hawke earns substantial, jaded humor with the character's witty comments on the subtle queer themes of the film Casablanca and the overly optimistic stage show he recently attended, with all the lariat-wielding cowhands; he acidly calls it Okla-gay. The orientation of Lorenz Hart is complicated: this movie skillfully juxtaposes his gayness with the straight persona invented for him in the 1948 theater piece the musical Words and Music (with actor Mickey Rooney acting as Lorenz Hart); it cleverly extrapolates a kind of bisexuality from Hart's correspondence to his young apprentice: youthful Yale attendee and aspiring set designer the character Elizabeth Weiland, played here with uninhibited maidenly charm by Margaret Qualley.

Being a member of the famous musical theater lyricist-composer pair with composer Rodgers, Hart was in charge of incomparable songs like The Lady Is a Tramp, the number Manhattan, My Funny Valentine and of course the titular Blue Moon. But frustrated by Hart's drinking problem, inconsistency and depressive outbursts, Rodgers broke with him and joined forces with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II to compose the show Oklahoma! and then a raft of live and cinematic successes.

Emotional Depth

The film conceives the severely despondent Hart in the show Oklahoma!'s first-night New York audience in the year 1943, looking on with jealous anguish as the production unfolds, hating its mild sappiness, abhorring the exclamation point at the finish of the heading, but heartsinkingly aware of how extremely potent it is. He knows a hit when he watches it – and feels himself descending into defeat.

Before the interval, Hart sadly slips away and makes his way to the tavern at Sardi’s where the balance of the picture takes place, and waits for the (unavoidably) successful Oklahoma! troupe to arrive for their after-party. He realizes it is his showbiz duty to praise Rodgers, to act as if things are fine. With polished control, the performer Andrew Scott plays Richard Rodgers, obviously uncomfortable at what they both know is Hart’s humiliation; he gives a pacifier to his ego in the guise of a brief assignment creating additional tunes for their ongoing performance the show A Connecticut Yankee, which only makes it worse.

• Bobby Cannavale portrays the barkeeper who in conventional manner hears compassionately to Hart's monologues of vinegary despair
• Actor Patrick Kennedy portrays author EB White, to whom Lorenz Hart accidentally gives the idea for his children’s book the book Stuart Little
• The actress Qualley portrays the character Weiland, the inaccessibly lovely Ivy League pupil with whom the picture envisions Hart to be complexly and self-destructively in affection

Lorenz Hart has earlier been rejected by Richard Rodgers. Undoubtedly the universe couldn't be that harsh as to get him jilted by Elizabeth Weiland as well? But Margaret Qualley mercilessly depicts a girl who wishes Lorenz Hart to be the chuckling, non-sexual confidant to whom she can reveal her adventures with guys – as well of course the theater industry influencer who can advance her profession.

Acting Excellence

Hawke reveals that Lorenz Hart to a degree enjoys observational satisfaction in learning of these guys but he is also authentically, mournfully enamored with Elizabeth Weiland and the picture reveals to us something seldom addressed in films about the world of musical theatre or the films: the dreadful intersection between occupational and affectionate loss. Yet at a certain point, Hart is rebelliously conscious that what he has achieved will persist. It’s a terrific performance from Hawke. This could be a stage musical – but who will write the tunes?

The film Blue Moon was shown at the London movie festival; it is available on October 17 in the US, the 14th of November in the UK and on 29 January in the land down under.