Kent Jones's 'Late Fame' Explores the Tension Between Artistic Idealism and Quiet Resilience The film Late Fame, Kent Jones’s second feature, unfolds as a quiet meditation on the collision between artistic ambition and the quiet endurance of a life lived apart from the spotlight. At its core, the story follows Ed Saxberger, a reclusive poet played by Willem Dafoe, whose once-promising literary career faded into obscurity. Now working in the post office and content with a solitary existence, Saxberger is drawn back into the world of art when a young poet named Meyers, portrayed by Edmund Donovan, seeks him out. Meyers, the leader of an idealistic artists collective called The Enthusiasm Society, idolizes Saxberger’s past and convinces him to reconnect with his creative roots. The film traces Saxberger’s reluctant journey to reconcile his past with his present, while Meyers’s fervent belief in art’s transformative power creates an uneasy dynamic between the two men. Jones, who directed the film, dedicated it to Peter Gizzi, a poet and professor at UMass Amherst, whom he describes as “one of the greatest poets in America.” The connection between Jones and Gizzi is deeply personal, rooted in their half-century friendship since childhood in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Jones’s first feature, Diane, was inspired by women he knew in Pittsfield, including his mother, and explored themes of obligation and the weight of community. Late Fame, while less overtly autobiographical, carries echoes of Jones’s own life. Like Saxberger, Jones moved to New York in his youth, became part of a creative scene, and later found success later in life. He worked with Martin Scorsese on documentaries, directed the New York Film Festival, and earned recognition in his fifties with films like Hitchcock/Truffaut and Diane.#willem_dafoe #ed_saxberger #the_enthusiasm_society #kent_jones #peter_gizzi
‘Late Fame’ Review: Lost Poet, Found Again Willem Dafoe stars as Ed Saxberger, a former poet who once enjoyed a fleeting moment of recognition in the 1970s before fading into obscurity. The film follows his life decades later, as he works at the post office and lives a quiet existence in New York City. His past as a poet, marked by a book titled Way Past Go published in 1979, earned him brief fame and a mention in the Village Voice, but his creative ambitions eventually waned. Now in his 60s, Ed finds himself drawn to a group of young artists who rekindle his connection to the literary world. The story centers on Wilson Meyers, a recent graduate of New York University who discovers Ed’s poetry book while browsing a bookstore. Intrigued by the poet’s past, Meyers tracks him down to introduce him to his circle of friends, a collective of aspiring writers and thinkers known as “The Enthusiasm Society.” The group, which calls itself a counter to the “delusional trappings of late-stage capitalism,” gathers at a café on LaGuardia Place, sipping sloe gin fizzes and espresso. Their ideals include resisting the monetization of culture and rejecting the “coarsening of culture” through media and consumerism. Ed, initially skeptical of their fervor, becomes intrigued by their passion and the energy they bring to their shared vision. He is particularly drawn to Gloria, an actress and singer who embodies the bohemian spirit of the group. Her presence and the camaraderie of the ensemble gradually pull Ed back into the world of creativity. Despite his years of disillusionment, he agrees to write a new poem for a reading the group plans to host. This act symbolizes a tentative reconciliation with his past and a reconnection with the artistic community that once defined his youth.#new_york_city #willem_dafoe #ed_saxberger #the_enthusiasm_society #gloria
