Kent Jones' film "Late Fame" features Willem Dafoe as Eduard Saxberger, a former poet whose brief literary fame in the 1970s is long past. Saxberger, now a post office employee, is rediscovered by a group of young, aspiring writers in modern-day New York, led by the wealthy and somewhat snobbish Wilson Meyers (Edmund Donovan). The film, adapted from Arthur Schnitzler's 1895 novella, explores the complexities of belated recognition and the clash between authentic artistic spirit and contemporary, often performative, artistic circles. Dafoe's portrayal is noted for its nuance, depicting a character who is both resilient and marked by past defeats, embodying a "graceful, aging urbanite" who ran from his past only to become integral to his environment.
The narrative updates Schnitzler's Austrian-set story to modern New York, trading the psychological menace of films like "Eyes Wide Shut" (also based on a Schnitzler work) for a "wistful melancholy." The young writers, part of an "Enthusiasm Society," initially flatter Saxberger, inviting him into their world and reigniting his belief in his own potential. However, the film also critiques the affected nature of this new bohemia, where members rail against monetization and influencer culture while being just as obsessed with their own brand and devices. Meyers, for example, boasts about buying Saxberger's book at "Foyle's on Charing Cross Road" and lives in an expensive, parent-funded apartment.
The film delves into the generational differences and the meaning of bohemianism then and now. Saxberger's initial re-engagement with the artistic world brings a renewed sense of self-doubt and restlessness, even as he embraces an elder statesman role. The movie is praised for its "hard-earned wisdom" and its specific, haunting portrait of Dafoe's character, highlighting his buried yearning. While the film closely follows Schnitzler's narrative, some critics suggest the source material feels truer than the adaptation in its final act, as the young group devolves into "snide hypocrisy." Overall, "Late Fame" is seen as a perceptive urban drama that skillfully uses its premise to reflect on a larger cultural story.
