Blue Moon

It’s the early 1940s and while the world is engulfed in the flames of war, New York City pulses to the rhythm of jazz. The radio waves carry My Funny Valentine, Manhattan, and the titular Blue Moon – all timeless American standards penned by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers, shimmering through the smoke of hotel bars and late-night salons. Richard Linklater’s bittersweet period drama brings these melodies to life through two towering performances. Ethan Hawke – perhaps at the peak of his career – joins forces with Silver Bear winner Andrew Scott to form a pitch-perfect acting duet. Margaret Qualley, whose elegant, understated presence completes this riveting ensemble, amplifies their electric chemistry. Set over the course of one long, charged night in a Manhattan hotel bar, Blue Moon is a fierce and funny meditation on art, the torment of male rivalry, and the beautiful mess of artistic collaboration. While adding to the myth of New York City, the film peels back the layers of masculinity, revisiting themes Linklater has spent a lifetime exploring – boyhood, bravado, and everything in between. The film also raises ethical questions, such as how to separate the art from the artist, who is not always a pleasant person with an orderly life and healthy habits.