The Fabelmans Review

I got to the theatre opening night to see the newest Spielberg movie with my family, as it was one I knew I would enjoy. As someone that loves movies, watching a movie about someone else and their love for movies is sure to entertain me even if it doesn't end up being that good. That was a suspicion of mine regarding The Fabelmans. It seemed to me that the movie was made for Oscar bait, and that the actual passion behind it would maybe be a little stale. I must've thought this because Spielberg isn't one of my personal favorite directors, but with someone as iconic as him, I shouldn't have doubted him. His life belongs to motion pictures, and the film captures that in a beautiful way. 

For starters, the cast was amazing. Someone who has had a lot of experience in the industry, but is beginning to really show just how talented he is, is Paul Dano. He gives a great performance alongside Michelle Williams, who gives a tearjerking performance playing the role of Spielbergs mother. Seth Rogan also proved further that he is worth more than some cheap laughs, and all the child actors were amazing as well. Julia Butters, in particular, who may be a new up and coming actor in the industry, also proves herself again after her beloved portrayal of a young actress in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The film takes a deeper dive than I expected into the psychology of the young Spielberg, and the way he not only found his passion, but defended it. In a time where no one quite understood how much it meant to him to be an artist, he had to prove that he could use his talents to contribute to the world in a greater way. Young Sammy Fabelman is thought to be a selfish son and brother throughout most of the film. The people around him think that he cares more about his 'hobby' of filmmaking more than his family and friends. Whether or not he does is up for question, but the film depicts the struggle of Sammy understanding himself. He feels like he is a burden to everyone around him for what he wants to do, and his talents contributed to a number of awful things from his childhood. The film accurately depicts the burden of having a love and passion for something, and how that can be a major factor to ones personal relationships.

There is a scene in the film that depicts this notion in a beautifully subtle way. It happens in one of the climactic scenes involving Sammy's family, in which his parents are breaking the news to the kids about their upcoming divorce. Sammy's siblings are devastated, crying, and lashing out, but Sammy looks into the reflection of a mirror in the room and sees himself filming the interaction with his camera. He catches himself imagining the scenario, and leaves the room horrified by his own mind. It is a beautiful internal struggle that was portrayed by Spielberg in the best, most personal way possible. In the end, The Fabelmans was one of the grandest movies of the year, and felt like a roller coaster of emotions. It may even be what I end up rooting for for Best Picture. I rated this movie a 9/10, and look forward to revisiting it at some point.