THE STORY – Legendary New York poet Ed Saxberger’s forgotten works captivate an eccentric group of young creatives, reigniting his artistic passion. Their intrigue intertwines with the bewitching presence of actress Gloria.
THE CAST – Willem Dafoe, Greta Lee & Edmund Donovan
THE TEAM – Kent Jones (Director) & Samy Burch (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 96 Minutes
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but that doesn’t mean that the young pups can’t learn something from them. In “Late Fame,” the charming new film from director Kent Jones, Willem Dafoe finds himself unexpectedly tossed into a world of youthful energy and excitement, leading to both friction and harmony. It’s a low-key movie that, given its tone, subject matter, and short runtime, seems like a film that would more likely premiere at Sundance than the Venice Film Festival. As such, it’s a pleasant, amiable film that feels like a gentle walk in the park with a friendly older acquaintance.
Dafoe plays Ed Saxberger, an elderly post office worker who lives a quiet life of unassuming routine in Manhattan (his home for nearly 50 years). On an otherwise unremarkable day, he encounters an odd young man named Wilson Meyers (Edmund Donovan), who has been waiting outside Ed’s apartment for him. Meyers is a newfound fan of Ed’s, having recently discovered an obscure, out-of-print book of poetry called “Way Past Go,” which Ed wrote in 1979. It turns out Meyers shared Ed’s poems with his circle of literary friends, and they all have great admiration for the former poet. Ed has long since put the artistic life behind him, favoring getting not-drinks (he’s six years sober) at the local dive bar with his friends and co-workers after a shift. But Meyers insists that Ed meet his group of friends, dubbed The Enthusiasm Society. Ed tumbles into their Gen Z/young Millennial orbit and finds himself a subject of adulation, with an unasked-for expectation of inherent wisdom.
It won’t be surprising for fans of writer Samy Burch’s last screenplay (“May December“) to learn that this brilliant film avoids cliches or obvious plotting. In this case, it skirts around expectations associated with generational clash movies of its ilk. Ed doesn’t start to change his behavior or ways of thinking in order to mesh with the much-younger group. If anything, the collection of old souls wants to be more like him. He also doesn’t express regret for never fully following his poetic passion. This isn’t a story about the tragedy of the road not taken; Ed is entirely content with his unremarkable existence (the only real hiccup in his life is his seemingly troubled relationship with his never-seen sister and gravely ill brother, which serves as an unnecessary subplot).
The film serves as an examination of the changing nature of New York City (and in a way, most major metropolitan areas in America). As Ed explains, his neighborhood of SoHo used to be an artistic enclave where taxis rarely stopped and everyone was struggling financially. Now, as with nearly all of Manhattan, in order to live at a level above minimum comfort, one must be fairly well-off. And at the same time, those with disposable income often wish to live in a curated version of the New York City of yesteryear – industrial architecture, cobblestone streets, and shabby chic abodes. As it turns out, Meyers and most of The Enthusiasm Society come from privileged backgrounds with impressive academic resumes, yet they long for the appearance of off-the-street artistic expression that Ed actually represents (as he explains, he dropped out of high school and moved to NYC, not out of hope for a facsimile of the artists’ life but because that’s simply where art lived). “Late Fame” delves into these paradoxes of desire and lifestyle dreams in a way that doesn’t feel preachy or condescending to younger generations.
As always, Dafoe is excellent. He’s one of our most humane actors, with his iconic, ultra-expressive face used here with an emphasis on subtlety. Ed is a man of simplicity, not necessarily because he represses more complex feelings, but because he has lived long enough to understand what life has in store for him. It’s a fully lived-in character that Dafoe portrays with effortless warmth. And Greta Lee is a hoot as Gloria, the one female member of The Enthusiasm Society. Between this and “Past Lives,” she’s become one of our great modern interpreters of contemporary New Yorkisms. She plays a quirky actress who wishes to give off a devil-may-care, mysterious air. She’s part Sally Bowles, part Holly Golightly, and completely entrancing, even when Gloria’s quirks reach a point of intentional frustration for both her on-screen colleagues and the audience.
Like its main character, “Late Fame“ is a modest delight of a film about the unexpected ways that the past never truly leaves us, shot with an understated style that feels uniquely New York. It doesn’t necessarily haunt us, but it can re-emerge and affect our present day at any time, with a range of potential outcomes. The film deliberately avoids sweeping statements and proclamations, instead choosing to smartly focus on one ordinary person, brought to life by one of our most extraordinary performers.
