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Separating from the more prominent partner in a performance partnership is a risky business. Larry David went through it. The same for Musician Andrew Ridgeley. Currently, this clever and deeply sorrowful chamber piece from writer the writer Robert Kaplow and filmmaker Richard Linklater recounts the almost agonizing story of songwriter for Broadway Lorenz Hart right after his separation from Richard Rodgers. The character is acted with flamboyant genius, an notable toupee and simulated diminutiveness by actor Ethan Hawke, who is regularly digitally shrunk in size – but is also occasionally shot positioned in an off-camera hole to gaze upward sadly at more statuesque figures, addressing Hart's height issue as José Ferrer once played the petite Toulouse-Lautrec.

Multifaceted Role and Themes

Hawke achieves large, cynical chuckles with Hart's humorous takes on the subtle queer themes of the movie Casablanca and the excessively cheerful theater production he recently attended, with all the lariat-wielding cowhands; he sarcastically dubs it Okla-homo. The sexuality of Lorenz Hart is complicated: this movie clearly contrasts his homosexuality with the heterosexual image invented for him in the 1948 theater piece the musical Words and Music (with Mickey Rooney acting as Hart); it shrewdly deduces a kind of dual attraction from the lyricist's writings to his protégée: youthful Yale attendee and would-be stage designer Weiland, acted in this movie with heedless girlishness by the performer Margaret Qualley.

As a component of the renowned New York theater songwriting team with the composer Rodgers, Hart was responsible for matchless numbers like the classic The Lady Is a Tramp, Manhattan, My Funny Valentine and of course the titular Blue Moon. But frustrated by the lyricist's addiction, unreliability and gloomy fits, Richard Rodgers ended their partnership and partnered with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II to compose the show Oklahoma! and then a multitude of stage and screen smashes.

Sentimental Layers

The movie imagines the profoundly saddened Hart in the musical Oklahoma!'s opening night NYC crowd in the year 1943, looking on with envious despair as the performance continues, hating its insipid emotionality, abhorring the exclamation mark at the end of the title, but dishearteningly conscious of how devastatingly successful it is. He understands a success when he watches it – and senses himself falling into defeat.

Before the break, Hart miserably ducks out and makes his way to the bar at Sardi’s where the balance of the picture takes place, and waits for the (unavoidably) successful Oklahoma! troupe to arrive for their post-show celebration. He is aware it is his entertainment obligation to congratulate Rodgers, to feign things are fine. With smooth moderation, actor Andrew Scott portrays Richard Rodgers, clearly embarrassed at what they both know is the lyricist's shame; he offers a sop to his pride in the guise of a temporary job writing new numbers for their existing show A Connecticut Yankee, which just exacerbates the situation.

• Bobby Cannavale portrays the barman who in standard fashion listens sympathetically to the character's soliloquies of bitter despondency
• Actor Patrick Kennedy portrays author EB White, to whom Hart accidentally gives the notion for his kids' story Stuart Little
• The actress Qualley portrays Weiland, the unattainably beautiful Yale student with whom the movie imagines Hart to be intricately and masochistically in affection

Lorenz Hart has already been jilted 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 young woman who wants Hart to be the laughing, platonic friend to whom she can confide her exploits with boys – as well of course the showbiz connection who can promote her occupation.

Performance Highlights

Hawke demonstrates that Lorenz Hart to a degree enjoys observational satisfaction in learning of these boys but he is also truly, sadly infatuated with Weiland and the film informs us of an aspect rarely touched on in movies about the realm of stage musicals or the movies: the awful convergence between occupational and affectionate loss. Nevertheless at some level, Hart is defiantly aware that what he has attained will survive. It's a magnificent acting job from Hawke. This might become a stage musical – but who shall compose the songs?

Blue Moon premiered at the London cinema festival; it is out on October 17 in the US, 14 November in the Britain and on January 29 in the Australian continent.