Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon isn’t a biopic — it’s a bittersweet valentine to Broadway’s golden age, filtered through one long, smoky night at Sardi’s in 1943. On this fateful evening, Oklahoma! has just opened to thunderous applause, signaling a new dawn in musical theatre. Watching from the bar, quietly unraveling, is Lorenz Hart — embodied, not merely played, by Ethan Hawke — who realizes that his longtime creative partner, Richard Rodgers, has officially moved on. The world is dancing to a new tune, and Hart’s melody is fading.

I’ve spent decades ducking into Sardi’s myself between shows — chatting with bartenders who could rival any actor in the room — and I can say that Linklater and his team nail the atmosphere. Every caricatured wall portrait, every red-velvet booth, every clink of a martini glass feels right. It’s Sardi’s as I imagine it in its prime: glamorous, smoky, and humming with heartbreak.

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The acting is the film’s first knockout. Hawke delivers a career-best performance, oozing charm and despair in equal measure. He’s witty, broken, and painfully aware of his own obsolescence. Expect to hear his name on Oscar morning. Andrew Scott (as Richard Rodgers) may well join him, portraying a man both tender and ruthless in his creative evolution. And Margaret Qualley — luminous and whip-smart — gives the story a pulse of hope. Even Bobby Cannavale, as the unfiltered bartender, turns a supporting role into something quietly profound.

The script plays like a one-act stage piece: a chamber play set almost entirely inside Sardi’s, moving in real time. It’s unapologetically wordy, packed with razor-sharp monologues and aching pauses. Yes, it’s a slow burn — but intentionally so. Linklater lets the audience marinate in the rhythm of conversation, where loneliness and wit dance a pas de deux worthy of Hart’s own lyrics.

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The production design deserves its own standing ovation. The Sardi’s replica, built in Dublin of all places, is stunning. For anyone who’s ever leaned on that bar under those caricatured faces, it’s pure déjà vu. Linklater’s version is a touch dreamier — tighter, smokier, almost haunted — but authentic to its bones. It’s less a set than a time machine.

So should you see it?
If you’re a theatre buff, absolutely — this is cinematic catnip. You’ll savor every whiskey-soaked exchange and wistful lament. But if you’re looking for explosions or chase scenes, maybe wait to stream it while pedaling on your exercise bike. Blue Moon rewards patience and empathy — a quiet masterpiece for those who listen to the lyrics between the notes.

Grade: A-

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Plot
Tells the story of Lorenz Hart’s struggles with alcoholism and mental health as he tries to save face during the opening of “Oklahoma!”.