Directed by:
Steven SpielbergCinematography:
Janusz KaminskiComposer:
John WilliamsCast:
Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord, Keeley Karsten, Alina Brace, Julia Butters, Birdie Borria (more)VOD (4)
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Inspired by Steven Spielberg's own childhood, rediscover the magic of movies in The Fabelmans, a coming-of-age story about a young man uncovering a shattering family secret and the power of film and imagination to help us see the truth about ourselves and each other. With a star-studded cast featuring Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel LaBelle and Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans tells a timeless tale of heartbreak, healing, and hope for the dreamer inside all of us. (Universal Pictures UK)
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Full Steven Spielberg. Without metaphor for the first time, he looks back on his childhood, on the family background that shaped him and (thankfully) gave him to us. Not that the proverbial perfectionist didn't pay attention to his previous films, but this time it's a truly admirable piece of watchmaking that may not even look like it. Spielberg firstly conveys the viewer's fascination with cinema, wrapping them around his finger with his boyish excitement of a train wreck reenactment, and then making them an invisible member of the family, letting them experience everything he himself has experienced with the characters. And he does it so naturally, confidently and beautifully that it's clear why he made the film. Had someone else been behind the camera, The Fabelmans would have been either a cheesy ode to the best director of all time or a cold family drama that would have been hard to watch. But to find a balance between these two extremes, none other than Steven Spielberg could have done it. PS: And the actors!
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I managed to watch The Fabelmans twice over the weekend and the second time in particular I experienced feelings I no longer associate with modern films. This two-and-a-half-hour chronicle of a famous filmmaker's difficult formative childhood in a crumbling family is the most beautiful film I've seen in a long time, and it offers narrative techniques so subtle and yet often utterly unobtrusive that a generation of young directors could learn again in the cinema. The story of an aspiring filmmaker and a bitter divorce is based on the alternation of artistic and rational perspectives. The camera reveals things to the protagonist that the human eye never sees in real life (including his mother's infidelity in the background of the action), and the photographic form of the footage, which can be manipulated in various ways in the editing room, makes the films the most reliable source of existence, something that you can control and can give authorial forms of representation. In the end, Sammy, distressed by his family situation, uses this to glorify the school bully in a school video, thus bringing his rival to his knees – realizing that he will never look as good in real life as he does in the film. Life can be grey and Spielberg knew the bitterness of anti-Semitism, bullying, failure with girls and, most importantly, the divorce of his parents, only one of whom supported his passion for movies. The Fabelmans represent two worldviews that must intertwine, but the more painful one must never suffocate what fulfills us most and what we aspire to. It is an emotional and psychologically detailed family study in which cinema serves not just to escape, but to clarify and filter emotions. Most of Spielberg's films about the complexity of an incomplete family have managed to suck us in, but The Fabelmans is a film through which we can inhale and, despite the sad passages, absorb the joy of the narrative and its impulses. After the second screening, I curled up on the bus for half an hour, put the John Williams soundtrack on my headphones, and let myself be swept away by what Sammy's story revealed. I too can try to be an extrovert and clamor for someone's attention, but I know in my soul that I embrace my introvert bubble and get lost in movies where I don't have to deal with interpersonal relationships, where I don't quite excel at. And what brings me joy is being able to analyse the work with space, the movement of the camera and the positioning of the characters around the set, which in The Fabelmans is again beautiful and original. Steven Spielberg has made an amazing film that spoke to me in every scene and I can say that it opened my eyes again. If you've yet to see a single film this year (so far), make sure it's this one, Avatar is going to have to try hard.
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If anyone knows how to tell a story through film, it's Steven Spielberg. His ability to captivate an audience remains unwavering after all these years, making The Fabelmans a pure delight for movie fans. Even though the plot is rather traditional, following the story of a boy — a stand-in for Spielberg himself — who loves films and dreams of making them, it is executed beautifully. The film portrays his family life, high school experiences, and typical issues of a mid-20th-century American family, all brought to life by exceptional performances. Michelle Williams is absolutely fantastic, delivering perhaps her best performance ever. Paul Dano and Seth Rogen also shine in roles that showcase sides of them we've never seen before. Gabriel LaBelle, who carries the film, impressively holds his own, and I genuinely wish him a bright future in acting. Special mention must go to Judd Hirsch and David Lynch, whose brief but memorable appearances steal the show. Their moments are unforgettable, adding unique highlights to the film. It's no surprise that Steven Spielberg, with his masterful storytelling, is behind this film, creating moments that will linger long after the credits roll.
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The Fabelmans is masterfully shot story of film and family that alternates between moments of extraordinary feeling, in which Spielberg manages to depict big things on an intimate scale, and a slightly banal compilation of familiar motifs and tried-and-true pearls of wisdom. I was moved by the film a few times, particularly the moments involving the magnificent duo of Dano and Williams, and when the boyish enthusiasm of amateur films is presented in such a way that it evokes in viewers the feeling that they are watching something almost miraculous. The Fabelmans portrays the medium of film as a double-edged sword that is capable of both healing and ruthlessly inflicting wounds. The film contains a touch of slight yet aching melancholy that doesn’t come across as mushy; Spielberg is still surehanded in that respect. Despite that, however, there is something banally transitory and too comfortable in all of these nice images, as the anecdotal ending demonstrates. The strongest impression is thus left by the relationship between Sam and his parents, which mirrors the pain and loneliness of Spielberg’s child characters. I feel great respect and mild emotion for this film, but unfortunately also doubt as to whether it will actually leave me with more than a fleeting sense of enchantment.
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Those who love filmmaking will love The Fabelmans. Spielberg is still in superb form, and it's hardly a surprise that if anyone should tell his life story, it can only be him. A beautiful, sensitive, witty, and moving film that is undoubtedly one of the best of the year. When Spielberg retires, anyone watching this film (remembering all his blockbusters) will be able to tell that it was all worth it.
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