It’s March 31, 1943, and Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) is chatting up the patrons at Sardi’s, a restaurant that will be hosting the production of Oklahoma! after their opening night. The buzz around this new musical is rumoured to be a hit for Hart’s collaborative composer Richard Rogers (Andrew Scott), who paired with Oscar Hammerstein II for this folksy endeavour. Hart, whether he knows it or not, tries to tune out and drown away his jealousy with drinks and stories as he anticipates courting his new fling Elizabeth Weilland (Margaret Qualley) at Sardi’s, the party that Hart believes he’s the king of.

As accomplished as he may have been, Lorenz Hart’s ego and disillusion are what compels the moviegoer, director Richard Linklater and screenwriter Robert Kaplow (who previously wrote the novel Me and Orson Welles, which Linklater would later adapt). Blue Moon is dialogue-driven, harkening back to previous talky collaborations from Linklater starring Hawke like Tape or the timeless Before… series, and measuring up just as well. With the exception of a prologue and a scene from Oklahoma!, Blue Moon takes place entirely from within Sardi’s. The audience is dropped into Lorenz’s world; the same interruption felt by the bartender (Bobby Cannavale), the in-house pianist Morty (Jonah Lees), and nearby patron/writer E. B. White (Patrick Kennedy). Just like the company in the bar, the viewer is charmed by Hart’s dastardly droll opinions and sense of humour before we realize how serious he is.

This alternating act, which Ethan Hawke portrays brilliantly with bittersweet nuances and hints of hilarity, gives Blue Moon an alluring push-and-pull chemistry that is always worth following – even if it results in a cruel and lonely reality check for Lorenz.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie