A reflexive and elegant drama, Late Fame explores what it means to encounter recognition later in life, after years of anonymity and quiet routine. The film follows Ed Saxberger (magisterially portrayed by Willem Dafoe), a New York poet who published a single volume of poetry and then spent most of his life working modestly at the post office. His daily existence shifts when a young admirer knocks on his door and eagerly introduces him to a circle of emerging writers and artists who revere him as a rediscovered figure. As Ed allows himself to be seduced by this newfound attention and by the enigmatic Gloria (Greta Lee, Past Lives), the film subtly and ironically explores the tensions between authenticity and ambition, youth and experience, set against the layered backdrop of a changing Manhattan.
Directed by Kent Jones, film critic and filmmaker long associated with the New York film community, Late Fame marks his second narrative feature after Diane (2018). The film stands out for its intimate, observant storytelling, rich in nuance about art, literature, and late-blooming creativity. It premiered internationally at the Venice Film Festival, where it was welcomed as a delicate and witty work, offering a nostalgic yet unsentimental portrait of New York and its artistic milieu. It later screened at several major festivals, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam, further extending its critical run. Dafoe and Lee’s performances are particularly striking, as is the film’s thoughtful approach to generational exchange and the search for meaning in belated recognition. The film was produced by Martin Scorsese.
Credits
Year: 2025
Runtime: 96′
Country: USA
Direction: Kent Jones
Screenplay: Samy Burch, Arthur Schnitzler
Cast: Jake Lacy, Willem Dafoe, Greta Lee
Cinematography: Wyatt Garfield
Subtitles: Jaume Pérez Massó
Genre: Drama
Contact: Madfer
Wins & nominations
2025 | Venice Film Festival – Orizzonti
2025 | American Film Festival Wroclaw