(2022) – PG 13 – Drama – 2h 31m
Cast: Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen
Director: Steven Spielberg
Plot:
Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth.
Review:
The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical film that recounts Steven Spielbergs’ unbridled fascination with movie-making from an early age. His love for the camera is a double-edged sword as it captures images that reveal a fragmented family unit, but also aids him in coping with the ensuing crisis.
The movie can occasionally feel a little disjointed and unbalanced, particularly due to the time jumps and tonal shifts. At times, the director makes his point painfully obvious, but at others, it is unintentionally ambiguous. This lack of fluidity can be slightly jarring at times, but there is sufficient drama, both humorous and emotional, to keep the movie from overstaying its welcome. It looks great, as you would expect from Spielberg, but if I’m being honest, The Fabelmans would be wholly uninteresting if it wasn’t semi-autobiographical.
And THAT’S the hook that won’t let you go. It’s a Spielberg movie about Spielberg and it’s got his magic fingerprints all over it.
He is still masterfully adept at tugging on your heartstrings like a puppeteer with his marionette and it is truly fascinating to get a rare glimpse into the private early life of one of cinema’s greatest maestros.
There were some great performances, particularly LaBelle and Williams, but Judd Hirsch and a cameo from David Lynch were the highlights.
The Fabelmans is a deeply personal film from Spielberg and that is what pushes it towards ‘essential viewing’.
Just don’t expect to be spellbound.