Late Fame
Late Fame tells the story of a postal worker, Ed Saxberger, played by Willem Dafoe, who used to dabble in poetry when he was young. His writing career was limited, and he apparently only published one book before turning to a more ordinary life. One day, he meets a young man named Donovan, who has discovered his book, and hopes to pull Ed into his circle of quirky artists.
I enjoyed watching the film, which is well-acted and comforting. I’m used to seeing Dafoe in wilder, over-the-top roles, so it was nice to see him play a regular nice guy. The lifestyle of the characters, where they hang out in New York lounges and cafes, talking about writing, is one which I have dreamt of living. Being creative is something that I personally value, but have struggled with balancing it against the demands of “adulting.” The Dafoe character chose the responsible route as well, but the movie shows that there’ll always be an artistic side to him, waiting to express itself, and that’s a message that I find heartening.
Having said that, there were some pieces of the movie that didn’t sit well with me. First, there’s an actress character played by Greta Lee, who’s part of Donovan’s group, and eventually becomes a love interest to Saxberger. I found her character really thin, an old-fashioned depiction of a woman who’s only there for the men to chase after and rescue.
Also, the film treats its younger cohort of characters, Donovan and his “Enthusiasm Society,” with a kind of disdain, mocking them for being shallow and pretentious. It’s true that they’re a bunch of wealthy kids, living off of inherited fortune, but I thought that they were genuine in their goal to cultivate art. Sure, they’re a bit dramatic and amateurish, but I can chalk that up to being young and inexperienced. The film seems to say that a real artist should be like the Dafoe character—unassuming and serious, not like those silly kids—and that strikes me as gatekeeping.