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Separating from the more prominent collaborator in a performance double act is a dangerous business. Larry David went through it. The same for Andrew Ridgeley. Now, this humorous and heartbreakingly sad small-scale drama from scriptwriter Robert Kaplow and filmmaker Richard Linklater narrates the almost agonizing story of musical theater lyricist the lyricist Lorenz Hart just after his split from Richard Rodgers. His role is portrayed with flamboyant genius, an unspeakable combover and simulated diminutiveness by Ethan Hawke, who is often digitally shrunk in size – but is also sometimes shot placed in an off-camera hole to look up poignantly at heightened personas, confronting the lyricist's stature problem as José Ferrer once played the small-statured Toulouse-Lautrec.

Layered Persona and Themes

Hawke gets big, world-weary laughs with the character's witty comments on the concealed homosexuality of the classic Casablanca and the overly optimistic stage show he’s just been to see, with all the rope-spinning ranch hands; he sarcastically dubs it Okla-gay. The orientation of Hart is multifaceted: this picture skillfully juxtaposes his homosexuality with the heterosexual image invented for him in the 1948 musical Words and Music (with Mickey Rooney playing Hart); it cleverly extrapolates a kind of bisexual tendency from Hart’s letters to his young apprentice: youthful Yale attendee and would-be stage designer the character Elizabeth Weiland, played here with uninhibited maidenly charm by actress Margaret Qualley.

Being a member of the legendary musical theater lyricist-composer pair with musician Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart was in charge of unparalleled tunes like the song The Lady Is a Tramp, the tune Manhattan, the standard My Funny Valentine and of course Blue Moon. But annoyed at Hart’s alcoholism, inconsistency and gloomy fits, Rodgers ended their partnership and partnered with Oscar Hammerstein II to write the musical Oklahoma! and then a multitude of live and cinematic successes.

Emotional Depth

The picture conceives the severely despondent Lorenz Hart in the show Oklahoma!'s first-night NYC crowd in the year 1943, gazing with covetous misery as the performance continues, despising its insipid emotionality, hating the exclamation mark at the finish of the heading, but dishearteningly conscious of how devastatingly successful it is. He understands a success when he sees one – and senses himself falling into defeat.

Before the break, Hart miserably ducks out and goes to the bar at Sardi’s where the balance of the picture occurs, and anticipates the (unavoidably) successful Oklahoma! troupe to arrive for their post-show celebration. He knows it is his performance responsibility to congratulate Rodgers, to feign things are fine. With polished control, Andrew Scott portrays Richard Rodgers, obviously uncomfortable at what both are aware is the lyricist's shame; he gives a pacifier to his self-esteem in the guise of a short-term gig creating additional tunes for their ongoing performance the show A Connecticut Yankee, which simply intensifies the pain.

• The performer Bobby Cannavale acts as the barman who in traditional style listens sympathetically to Hart’s arias of bitter despondency
• Actor Patrick Kennedy acts as writer EB White, to whom Hart unintentionally offers the concept for his kids' story the novel Stuart Little
• Margaret Qualley portrays Elizabeth Weiland, the inaccessibly lovely Ivy League pupil with whom the film conceives Lorenz Hart to be intricately and masochistically in adoration

Hart has already been jilted by Rodgers. Certainly the universe wouldn't be that brutal as to get him jilted by Elizabeth Weiland as well? But Qualley mercilessly depicts a young woman who desires Hart to be the laughing, platonic friend to whom she can disclose her experiences with boys – as well of course the showbiz connection who can promote her occupation.

Standout Roles

Hawke reveals that Lorenz Hart somewhat derives voyeuristic pleasure in hearing about these young men but he is also genuinely, tragically besotted with Elizabeth Weiland and the film reveals to us a factor rarely touched on in pictures about the domain of theater music or the films: the awful convergence between professional and romantic failure. Nevertheless at some level, Hart is boldly cognizant that what he has attained will survive. It's an outstanding portrayal from Ethan Hawke. This might become a theater production – but who shall compose the songs?

The film Blue Moon premiered at the London film festival; it is released on the 17th of October in the US, 14 November in the UK and on the 29th of January in the Australian continent.