The Fabelmans

Steven Spielberg has been directing films for so many decades that it's actually a little surprising that the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans (2022) took this long to materialize. Because of his years of success as a filmmaker, I already knew some details of Spielberg's rise to the successful director that he is today. Granted, I'm not sure how much of the family drama in The Fabelmans is a direct influence on Spielberg's life or if he manufactured it for the movie itself. Still, it is interesting to see the early budding talent presented in this movie and be able to extrapolate to movies like Jaws (1975), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Schindler's List (1993).

Perhaps my one qualm with this movie is that it's a bit too long. I understand the desire to show the entire life of Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) to understand the context of the origins of his filmmaking passion, but there could have been much shorter ways to show these moments instead of dedicating almost the entire first act to something that was much less exciting than the rest of the film. Even if it started in the second act, The Fabelmans easily captures that struggle between family and living the life of a dedicated creative.

I really appreciated the conversation about how pursuing a creative passion can really be a challenge for an individual's personal life. Similar to how the leads in La La Land (2016) had to choose between themselves and their dreams, The Fabelmans shows how having an additional way to communicate (in this case, via filmmaking) can sometimes break through barriers and expose hard truths. The unblinking eye of the camera often sees more than we want, whether the bipolar disorder and affair of a mother or how a bully sees themselves as the hero.

A thoughtful if not slightly long autobiography of Steven Spielberg, I give The Fabelmans 4.0 stars out of 5.

The Fabelmans is both a coming-of-age story and a love letter to filmmaking; calling this movie a labor of love is an understatement. The Fabelman is Spielberg's most personal film ever as he shared how he developed his passion for filmmaking while demonstrating the power of escapism the movies brought to his life. Steven Spielberg understands that love for art is not just a hobby but also an expression of one's self and exploration of humankind. Steven Spielberg was able to articulate himself in a very raw yet profound way with his film, The Fabelmans. It is good to see him tell the story of his life while recognizing that his family is far from perfect and how a young man deals with one family crisis and overcoming it through the power of filmmaking. If you share the same love for film, like everyone here, you would certainly appreciate this movie. But, the movie is far from perfect as most of Spielberg's films.

The movie focuses on Sammy, played wonderfully by Gabriel LaBelle, which sometimes comes off as a bit pretentious as a character. But, Gabriel LaBelle was great in this movie that he showed the emotional depth of the character, and his fascination with filmmaking translates to the audience. Gabriel LaBelle must have felt extreme pressure while playing this character, considering that he's playing one of the best filmmakers of all time, but he was able to give justice to the character at no fault. However, it was Michelle Williams that stood out in this film---to say her performance is phenomenal is diminishing---she was terrific and captivating as Mitzi, a free-spirited mother with an extreme love for art. Paul Dano was great in this film, as well as Seth Rogen. Also, Judd Hirsch is for sure a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination, only in the movie for less than 10 minutes, but his character is pivotal for Sammy's growth.

During the third act of the film, it kinda lost its footing, the movie became dragging, cliche, and pretentious. But, The Fabelmans is far from Spielberg's best work, like Schindler's List or ET, but the movie works as a coming-of-age story that delivers more of the director's insights. The Fabelmans is a charming and poignant anecdote about life glimpsed through the camera and how those occasions shaped one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. Although the movie is predictable and does not come with surprises. The Fabelmans still works without depending on glitzy special effects, an excessive amount of violence, or shock value, but because of its great direction, performances, sincerity, and authenticity from the writing perspective, it resulted in The Fabelmans being one of this year's best films. We can see that it's personal, but it feels like the movie is made for us as well.

This semi-autobiographical film centres around Sammy Fabelman who is transfixed by the first movie he sees at age 6 and develops a passion for film making. Other themes explored with variable depth and success include the fracturing marriage of his parents, bullying and anti-semitism at high school, young love and coming of age, and selfishness in general.

The movie is way too long and felt a little boring in the first 45minutes. It's nicely shot and well directed as you would expect, but the script is patchy and while the acting is generally excellent, the performances of Paul Dano and in particular Michelle Williams as Sammy's parents felt too affected and a little contrived - at times I felt I was watching filming on the set of a TV sitcom. I wonder still if this was deliberately instructed by Spielberg, but for me it doesn't work.

Gabriel Labelle is the best as the teenage Sammy and Judd Hirsch is superb in a cameo as Uncle Boris. John Williams as always provides a perfect score and the visuals are superb.

Overall it's worth seeing for a little insight into Spielberg's childhood but there is an unsatisfactory feel to the film as a whole. I think it could have been so much better.

Lynch's last role, that's why I wanted to see it. For some reason, the film didn't get carried away at the release. I like to make mistakes and discover such amazing paintings after a while.

A movie about cinema and love for it.

Throughout the life of the main character, the movie goes along with him to one degree or another. At first, it amazes him as a viewer, but very soon he starts filming it himself. If in childhood it could be called a hobby, then it develops further to the vocation of a lifetime.

He makes short films, then full-fledged films, which, although they are shot for his own money and shown only to the participants in the filming, still touch the audience.

In fact, each film shot inside the film reflects the gradual development of the hero as a director and personality.

He is going through a drama in his family, relationships with peers and a girlfriend, but only cinema and the craving for it as the meaning of life helps to overcome all this and eventually succeed.

Also, the film is beautifully shot in terms of technical components, and every acting job pleases the eye and you, as a viewer, empathize with all the characters. They are prescribed and you believe in their problems.

When I first found out that Steven was making a movie about his life my first reaction was "wow, that's a conceited thing to do" so, I really wanted to dislike this film even before watching.

So, I skipped it at the theaters, did read some reviews and there were a lot of mixed ones. Watched the trailers and I admit those made it look half good. I figured I'd just wait till it streaming then I'd give it a go.

This afternoon I did just that, sat down in my rocking chair and watched 'the Fabelmans' and after it had ended and the credits were rolling my first thought was 'I apologize Steven'

I now know that it wasn't out of some conceited place or Steven trying to pay tribute to his own career. Instead it's a film about his family and it's dysfunctions and milestones that would eventually lead Steven to be the wonderful filmmaker we all love.

It's obvious now that Steven was the only one that could of written and directed this film.

Now, I can understand if there's questions on 'why' he made this film. Why expose his family's dirty laundry? Why stir up controversial moments but all these things led to Steven becoming the filmmaker he is.

In the end I was very pleasantly surprised by this film. I laughed, I was aggravated and at times very moved and inside all of those emotions we have tidbits on Steven falling in love with filmmaking. It's always present in the film but really it's not the focus. It's his family, the love he has for them and those struggles to keep it all together.

Good job Steven and thank you for such a wonderful career and so many great memories you have given to me and my family.