Late Fame

The great Willem Dafoe lends his delicate gravitas to the role of Ed Saxberger, a forgotten New York poet who works in the post office.

After an eager and flattering young admirer (Edmund Donovan) appears on his doorstep, Saxberger is beckoned into a coterie of twentysomething admirers who anoint him as a rediscovered genius.

Intoxicated by the attention, and by the alluring presence of Gloria, the group’s “tragic heroine” (a sinuous, Kurt Weill–crooning Greta Lee) - Saxberger gradually reckons with the authenticity of his newfound poetic circle.

This thoughtful, witty second feature from Kent Jones (DIANE), working from a sly and hugely entertaining script by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Samy Burch (MAY DECEMBER), is a wistful yet unromantic look at a lost idea of downtown New York.