Plot: What’s it about?
I was trying to do a running tally in my head as to the number of films that Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater had collaborated on in the past few decades. My count was eight. I was wrong. It was nine. Thanks Tape! Given the longevity of their projects together, it’s safe to say that their most heralded collaboration might be either Boyhood or the Before Trilogy (that gets my vote). Suffice it to say if you’re a fan of The Newton Boys or Waking Life – you’re not alone. However, with their latest effort Hawke plays a more personal role and it’s nonetheless satisfying. He’s received an Academy Award nomination (which, as of this writing, the result is unknown) – as he had for both Boyhood and Training Day (he lost to J.K. Simmons and Jim Broadbent, respectively). Hawke, in real life, is both a writer and a poet and here he plays famed lyricist Lorenz Hart. Is it a match made in heaven?
The film takes place over the course of one day, March 31, 1943 to be exact. Hawke plays Lorenz Hart and we follow him on the opening night of Oklahoma! – a new musical from the famed Rogers (Andrew Scott) and Oscar Hammerstein (Simon Delaney). Hart discusses the musical at Sardi’s where he chats it up it up with the bartender (Bobby Cannavale) and the piano player (Jonah Lees). There’s the obvious discussion about the musical, one he’d declined not to write, as well as his career and hopes to finally win the the heart of Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley), someone who he’s been infatuated with. As the night progresses, he tries to convince Richard Rogers to reconnect for a new project all at while trying to express his feelings for Elizabeth. Suffice it to say, things don’t go according to plan.
Films that take place over the course of a day, or in this case – an evening are often hit and miss. We’ve got gems like High Noon which plays out in a close approximation of real time and then we’ve got duds like Sylvester Stallone’s Oscar. Yes, I brought that up during this review. Nevertheless, it works here…to a point. Hawke’s character spits out more monologues than he (or us) know what to do with. They don’t seem to offer up a lot to the plot and given the film’s somewhat claustrophobic nature, it might beg the question if this were more suited as a play than a feature length film? To be sure, however, there are some great performances and a very talented cast. Fans of Hawke and/or Richard Linklater shall not be disappointed, but even at 100 minutes this one felt a bit long.
Video: How’s it look?
Given the film’s somewhat “limited” atmosphere, it looks remarkably good. The movie takes place over the course of one night and, as such, we’re treated to a lot of interior shots inside restaurants and the like. Thankfully Sony’s 2.39:1 AVC HD encode has no problem pulling off yet another remarkable transfer. Detail is spot on (it’s odd seeing Ethan Hawke not don his trademark mound of hair), color saturation is brilliant and black levels are solid. It’s another home run for Sony, the company that invented the format.
Audio: How’s it sound?
As we might expect, there’s not a lot of room for the DTS HD Master Audio mix to flex its muscle. Dialogue is the name of the game here and there’s a lot of it. Vocals are pitch perfect with the surrounds only offering a tad bit of ambiance throughout. There’s some “interior noise” at times, but it’s no fault of the mix. Sit back, relax and enjoy every word.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no supplemental material.
The Bottom Line
Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke go together like Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro – they just work well together. This represents Ethan Hawke’s second Oscar nomination and it’s well worthy of his talents. Sony’s disc is featureless, but looks and sounds amazing – this one is for true fans only.
