Rating: 9.7
Premise: 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.
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Universal
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Tony Kushner & Steven Spielberg
Cast: Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Judd Hirsch, Seth Rogen, Julia Butters, David Lynch
Runtime: 2hr 31min
Rating: PG
Drama
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IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
RT Audience Score: 81%
Metacritic Score: 84
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My Review:
“The Fabelmans” is nothing short of Spielberg’s magnum opus. It is a masterful film, as one would expect! As well, it is of course deeply personal and intimate at the same time — we really get a chance to get inside Spielberg’s head more than ever before. We truly get to see the world through his eyes for once; see the childhood life he lived that inspired the way he would approach so many of the films that we have come to love. But that isn’t what really struck me so immensely with this film; while I loved this exploration of his past through his family life, religion, friends and film, I adore this film because it helped me find myself. There were a scarily high amount of moments I was watching and found myself thinking how I would do the same thing, from visualizing shots with toys as a kid, to turning to films to help processing my emotions, to inner conflicts between following dreams of pursuing film or doing what is best for the family or future. Not to say I am some sort of up and coming Spielberg; I for sure am not, but I could identify myself in the character of Sammy (who is essentially the film’s version of Spielberg). This film was an incredible experience for me to watch. The film brought me back to how I first fell in love with movies; and I am indebted to it for that. This film spoke to me on a deeper level than any film ever has, it touched my soul.
I treasure Steven Spielberg; his work is some of my favourite pieces of cinema I have ever seen. To see him offer us the chance to explore his love of cinema and his own path to finding his way into the movie making business was magical. And this movie is him at his very best; it is much more than just autobiographical. This film is the most vulnerable Spielberg has felt as a storyteller, every shot was very clearly a memory. It is a poignant examination of coping with life’s unexpected hurdles through art, even when you don’t understand why. It’s about how artists cope by creating something to occupy that empty space in themselves. “The Fabelmans” should speak to anyone who has ever struggled with their voice, communicating to their parents about what they want to pursue and that their passion is not just a phase. Especially when life changes in ways we can’t control, while art is something we direct. Boiled down, it's about the power of movies and how they can change one’s life, seen through the lens of a simple family drama. I loved how Spielberg portrayed his parents; the relationship he had with them and their divorce, as it had such a profound impact on his filmmaking, from “Close Encounters” to “ET” to “Catch Me if You Can”. Through doing this, Spielberg shows how therapeutic it can be to express and see life expressed in a heightened and crafted way. It is just pure brilliance.
Spielberg proves there is no one else like him; cinema would be so much less rich without his vision and style. His storytelling and visual sensibilities are pitch perfect, the choices he makes are objectively the best ways to tell the story he wants to tell. The direction is of course impeccable — you feel the magic of filmmaking through Spielberg’s direction, a feeling one rarely gets with cinema these days. Everything, from the staging, cinematography, lighting, production design, costuming, music (John Willams’ score, while minimal, is perfect), editing and especially acting is stunning. We don’t get movies like this anymore, it is just so rich in every aspect!
The acting was very notable in this movie. Spielberg really knows how to cast the perfect actors for a role, and this might just be some of his best casting yet. First off, Michelle Williams and Paul Dano are both incredible in their roles, delivering impressive performances that will be easy award contenders. David Lynch and Judd Hirsch have some awesome, scene stealing cameos that were some of my favourite moments in the film. But the true star is Gabriel LaBelle, who plays Sammy, our young Spielberg. This might just be the best breakout performance I have ever seen from a young actor, and it is certainly one of the best performances of the year! I fully believed him as a young Spielberg, you see his awkwardness, but also how his love of cinema and filmmaking informs his life. Plus he looked exactly like Spielberg himself at that age, and was such a great lead for this film!
Ultimately this movie is one that I will love for years to come. This movie gave me the greatest insight into one of the greatest directors alive, as well as into myself. If you want to know how I see the world, this movie shows it off exactly. I don’t think I’ve ever connected with a movie more than I did with this one. The movie shows why movies are so important, and it helps that you really feel the magic of film with this one as well! It is a celebration of cinema, of filmmaking, and it gives you an even greater amount of respect and appreciation for Spielberg himself. I loved it, more than I can ever put into words. I love a lot of movies, but I have a different type of love for this movie that is higher than most. This movie touched my soul, it's an ode to the thing I love most in the world; the movies.
Fun Fact: Seth Rogen told reporters that Steven Spielberg often became emotional on the set during production. "It was a very emotional experience. He was crying a lot on set," he said. "It's very directly based on his life and pretty much everything that happens in the movie is something that happened to him. As we were shooting, I'd be like, 'Did this happen in real life?' and the answer was 'yes' a hundred percent of the time."
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