AMERICAN INDIES

LATE FAME

2025 / 96 min / color

In this adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s novella, renowned American actor Willem Dafoe stars as Ed Saxberger, a forgotten New York poet. A lack of artistic fulfilment has left him leading a quiet, routine life as a postal worker. He’s jolted out of this stagnation when a young fan of his work unexpectedly shows up on his doorstep. Caught off guard by the young man’s fervent admiration, Saxberger is drawn into a circle of 20-somethings who quickly embrace him as a mentor and hail him as a newly discovered genius. A central figure in the group is Gloria (Greta Lee), who captivates Ed from their very first meeting. Set in the heart of Manhattan, Kent Jones’ film is as much an exploration of its titular “late fame” as it is a portrait of a place once considered an artistic mecca. Time moves on, the director seems to be saying, as he weaves humor and nostalgia into this cutting satire of the literary world.