Breaking up is hard to do, romantically or otherwise, especially in a very public scenario, and where alcohol is involved. Director Richard Linklater’s latest film, Blue Moon, examines the tragic 1940s professional break-up between Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) and his composing partner Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott). The duo, America’s Gilbert and Sullivan, were responsible for twenty years of musical classics such as My Funny Valentine, The Lady is a Tramp and Blue Moon. Seemingly unstoppable, behind the scenes their partnership gradually disintegrated due to Hart’s alcoholism, which led to unreliable and erratic behaviour and depression. This steered Rodgers to working with Oscar Hammerstein instead and the legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein alliance hit the ground running with the 1943 launch of the musical Oklahoma!

Blue Moon takes place on the night of the New York launch of Oklahoma! Hart applauds enthusiastically at the opening show and then leaves early to retreat to the famous Sardi’s, the post-show party venue, where he holds court at the empty bar until the cast and crew of the show arrive. He’s bitter about his lack of involvement in “Oklahomo” as he refers to it, and slags it off – “A fourteen carat piece of shit.” Barman (Bobby Cannavale) and pianist (Jonah Lees) are sitting ducks as Hart, perched on a stool at the corner of the bar, begins a bitter monologue about his current situation. As well as his work, he discusses his infatuation with a twenty-year old Yale student, poet and wannabe stage designer Elizabeth, (the stunning Margaret Qualley). The barman is puzzled by this as he knows Hart to be sexually largely into men but Hart pushes his case through for Elizabeth. The recovering alcoholic starts off on tonic water but gradually succumbs to shots of bourbon, especially once the cast and crew arrive for the party.

He’s mildly drunk when he approaches Rodgers to offer his congratulations. Rodgers is polite and respectful to Hart, as he is to everyone, but it’s an awkward encounter, made worse by the presence of Hammerstein (Simon Delaney) in the background, shouting out the newly-received rave reviews. Rodgers offers Hart the opportunity to rework a few songs on a past success of theirs, Connecticut Yankee, but it’s clear to everyone that their relationship is over, especially as Hart’s intensity and drunkenness begin to annoy Rodgers. Elizabeth is also at the party and Hart diverts his attention to her to save his pride. She’s receptive to him but what does she want? And how is this all going to end?

Written by Robert Kaplow, Blue Moon enjoys a magnificent script. Great lines of wit abound like “What do you call a tireless, relentless homosexual? Indefaggotable!” Or “Nobody ever loved me that much.” Or “The New York look of doomed hopefulness.” Or “That’s the wonderful thing about art, it waits for you.” This is Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke’s eighth film together. This time Linklater has managed to shave ten inches of Hawke’s height and give him a balding comb-over hair style, so he closely resembles the five-foot nothing Hart. Hawke is brilliant as the elfin-like, slightly camp and acrid writer who is trying to save face. He delivers the relentless chit-chat of a drunk – “A half-erect penis is the sexiest thing on the planet.” – spliced with brutally catty remarks and moments of sad, woeful self-awareness. He’s too much, he’s a bore but you’d also give anything for a night at the bar in Sardi’s with him. He’s both an addict and addictive, as well as very funny. Andrew Scott is also perfect as the polite, balanced but detached Rodgers, the opposite to Hart, respectfully trying to escape and move on in life, but also mindful of the past. Their scenes together are special and memorable. Shane Kelly’s beautiful cinematography and Graham Reynold’s music complement proceedings.

Hart tragically died aged 48, seven months after this night, after collapsing drunk outside in the rain and succumbing to pneumonia. We feel part of his wretched end of life. A beautiful, melancholic step back in time.

10/10