In Kent Jones new film “Late Fame,” Willem Dafoe plays Ed Saxberger, a seemingly “regular guy” type who works for the Post Office by day, and shoots pool with his friends at night. He’s never been married, has no kids or pets, and pretty much keeps to himself. Saxberger leads a somewhat lonely but peaceful existence amongst the hustle and bustle of downtown New York.
Then one evening, Saxberger is recognized by Meyers, a young New York University graduate who knows his face from a book of poetry he had published clear back in 1979. Played by Edmund Donovan (“Akron”), Meyers’ dress and speech exudes a life of wealth and privilege – the arch opposite of Saxberger’s. Meyers invites Saxberger to a meeting of his literary group known as the Enthusiasm Society.
This is a group of about a half dozen young men who unite once a week in an upstairs room to discuss great literature, plays, and poetry. They discuss the classics, of course, but also some buried treasures. And Meyers is only too happy to invite the long since forgotten, once up-and-coming Saxberger to their next gathering.
At first reluctant to jump back into the arts world, Saxberger eventually decides to accompany Meyers to an Enthusiasm Society gathering. Much to the aged protagonist’s delight, the group shuns the conveniences of modern technology. Cell phones are outright banned from their meetings. And unlike today’s world – where many of us know our “friends” only by their first names – this organization uses only last names. Hence the fact that we never learn Meyers’ given name.
When the eager young participants inquire about Saxberger’s literary past, he drops a few names familiar to them – which only endears him to the yearning members. This appears to be a match made in heaven – and likely the impetus for the film’s title, “Late Fame.”
Adapted by Samy Burch (“May December”) from Arthur Schnitzier’s posthumous novel, “Late Fame” takes a dramatic turn when Gloria turns up for one of their meetings. Played by Greta Lee (“Problemista”), Gloria is a little older than the others. She’s the group’s only female, the only member to use a first name, and the only one who is an actress as opposed to a wannabe author.
Intentionally played over-the-top by Lee, Gloria is one of those actresses we used to see only in Neil Simon films, who never seems to stop “acting.” Every arrival – even into a small gathering of intellectuals – is an opportunity for Gloria to make a divine entrance. She’s the type who will do anything for an ovation. Or even a nodding recognition of her greatness.
After openly flirting with Ed, she shows up unexpectedly at his apartment, and invites him on what must be the first date he’s had in years. The two hit it off well, until Ed is able to see beneath Gloria’s façade when he makes an uninvited trek to her apartment. Meanwhile, Ed’s poolhall buddies don’t take well to Ed’s newfound association with the New York literary world. They mock him upon learning of his past life as a published poet. Their “so-you-think-you’re-better-than-we-are” routine doesn’t sit well with Ed.
But the Enthusiasm Society has planned a poetry and literary recital evening, something along the lines of the beatnik oral recitations we’ve read about. Taking place in an independent bookstore or café basement, these readings would draw small bands of other pseudo-intellectuals, who would politely cheer each monologue as though they had collectively witnessed the “next great thing” in the literary world before anyone else. Then when the masses noticed, the pseudo-intellectuals would have moved onto yet another “next great thing.”
A backdrop for Ed’s late-in-life dalliance back into the arts world is the fact that his brother is dying in a local hospital. Ed listens to his sister’s voicemails detailing the brother’s declining health, but never calls her back nor does he ever visit. There must be some disfunction in the family’s past to which we are never privy.
And here I must compare Jones’ latest work with his last film, 2018’s “Diane.” This was the vehicle for Mary Kay Place, in which she played a widow whose life is lived in service to others. She would seem to have little in common with Ed Saxberger of “Late Fame.” But consider, both central characters are older, and each has a relative dying in the hospital. The difference is, Diane is a frequent visitor to her cousin, where Ed has ostensibly no connection to his brother, save for blood.
And “Late Fame” provides Willem Dafoe yet another opportunity to showcase his late-career acting chops. Since landing back on the proverbial radar following his Oscar-nominated performance in Sean Baker’s 2017 masterpiece “The Florida Project,” Dafoe has stretched his acting chops the way few others have during the past decade.
Distinct from his quasi-madman roles in “The Lighthouse” and “Nightmare Alley,” this time it’s almost hard to discern that Dafoe is even acting. He slides into the shoes of the Ed Saxberger character so comfortably as to make us believe this performance is a reflection of Dafoe’s own nature. Whether it is or not, I cannot say. But then, such is the mark of a great actor. And while “Late Fame” may not rise to the level of some of these other films, it again solidifies Dafoe as one of our consistently greatest actors. 71 years old, and never better!
