Film review: Willem Dafoe delivers a tender performance as a forgotten poet granted a late resurgence
In this adaptation of a Schnitzler novella, Willem Dafoe plays Ed Saxberger, an aging New York postal worker who once wrote poetry in the 1970s. A young admirer finds his out-of-print collection and declares him a neglected genius, offering to republish his work. The film explores themes of regret and second chances, with Dafoe delivering a graceful performance.
The film marks a collaboration between screenwriter Samy Burch and director Kent Jones, whose previous feature was the 2015 documentary Hitchcock/Truffaut. It adapts Arthur Schnitzler's novella, the same source material that inspired Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, though this version shifts focus from a doctor to a postal worker. Supporting cast includes Edmund Donovan as the young admirer Meyers and Greta Lee as the actor Gloria, with the film opening in US theaters now and UK cinemas on September 4.
The story centers on Ed Saxberger, a New York postal worker whose 1970s poetry collection, Way Past Go, has long been out of print. His rediscovery by a younger generation of literary enthusiasts triggers a late-life reckoning with ambition, as he navigates the attention of capricious hipsters while straining relationships with his longtime drinking companions.
This film may resonate with aging audiences confronting questions of legacy and unrealized potential, while also speaking to younger viewers who participate in cycles of cultural rediscovery. Its themes of second chances and the fickleness of artistic recognition could spark conversations about how society values creative work and the emotional costs of late validation. The story may also encourage reflection on how digital platforms have changed the dynamics of literary fame and obscurity.