Four-time Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe’s presence always makes a movie a little more interesting, and he’s once again great in the new indie “Late Fame” from director Kent Jones (of the documentary “Hitchcock/Truffaut”) and writer Samy Burch (who was Oscar nominated for 2023’s “May December”).
“Late Fame” is an updated adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s 1895 novella. Dafoe stars as Ed Saxberger, a longtime New York City postal worker who was a published poet in the late ’70s, but his career didn’t turn out how he hoped. Meyers (played by Edmund Donovan) is the leader of a group of young adult intellectuals immersed in literature and against modern technology. He discovers Ed’s old book and corners him outside his apartment building. Ed is flattered by Meyers’ admiration for his work and is convinced to join the group (called “The Enthusiasts”) to discuss poetry and life.
One of the other members is Gloria, an actress with an old-fashioned aura, played by Greta Lee (from 2023’s “Past Lives” and most recently the voice of Lilypad in “Toy Story 5”). As we learn over the course of the film, there’s a lot more to Gloria than what she shares with Ed and the group.
Does Ed want to come out of poetry retirement, and does he long for the spotlight again? There’s a good hook here, and Dafoe – a famous actor playing a novice when it comes to feeling like a celebrity – sells it the entire way through. The strongest aspect of “Late Fame” is watching him, as Ed, react to how Meyers, Gloria and the others interact with him and behave in public and private settings. But the rest of the movie doesn’t carry the weight of Dafoe’s performance.
The film feels clunky and largely falls flat. A scene with Ed at Meyers’ apartment isn’t as funny as it thinks it is. A pivotal exchange between Ed and his bar buddies is flawed. And other subplots don’t offer much substance. The arc of “Late Fame” is ultimately too simple and straightforward – I accurately guessed how most of this would turn out – and I wish the script was darker and deeper with its commentary.
LCJ GRADE: C+
Running Time: 96 min.