Rent The Fabelmans on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Steven Spielberg &Tony Kushner
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Michelle Williams, Gabriel LaBelle, Paul Dano, Judd Hirsch, Seth Rogen
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer
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.
Verdict
It's a fun movie, as most of Spielberg's children focused movies are. It captures that sense of nostalgia and adventure. All of his movies know how to tell a story, and this is personal. It's his story, capturing the wonder on the brink of launching a long lasting movie career. His artistry is apparent, and it's engaging to see Spielberg's take on his own life.
Watch It.
Review
Many directors seem to be making self inspired movies about their lives recently. Branagh did Belfast, Almodóvar did Pain and Glory, Cuarón did Roma, and even Fellini did Amarcord
in the 70s. Spielberg conceived of this film as early as 1999, but was hesitant to proceed as he didn't want his parents to think he was exploiting them.
Sammy is about to attend his first movie in the theater. We get a rather technical explanation about how movies work from his father Burt (Paul Dano), though I'd guess that's more for the audience. This is the inspiration for Sammy's love of film making. Through that movie he begins making movies of his own, and in this movie even the images of the toys are cinematic.
It's clear what this is and where it's going. Sammy is kid Spielberg and this is his introduction to film. It's cute, and Spielberg has always had a creativity and way with children's movies. He's able to capture the imagination and this shows how he developed that skill. He has an aptitude for films, though I wonder if this is how it happened or more how he would like to remember it. This might be more of a fable. The title certainly lends itself to a more artistic interpretation.
Sammy's mom Mitzi (Michelle Williams) is shown as an artistic free spirit, though movies often depict mental illness in a similar nature as this movie depicts her. It's unclear if she's unwell or just an artistic inspiration for Sammy. She seems to crave attention, but Mitzi sees the world differently, and she tries to impart that view to Sammy.
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| Gabriel LaBelle plays Sammy |
Sammy (Gabriel LaBelle) and his family move to Arizona where each movie he makes outdoes the last. His dad sees it as a hobby, an indulgence. Sammy sees the future, his future. These are the formative years of a film maker. His war movie is impressive in scope, scale, and creativity. Extrapolating on what we see, Spielberg's actual movies are impressive in a big part due to the storytelling. If this movie depicts how he refined his process, it's because he didn't use dialog or exposition. The visuals alone tell the story.
There's an odd moment in a scene where this wants to put a point on the rift between Sammy and his mom. She goes to slap him as he turns and slaps his back. The movie pulls the punch. The intent was there, but the result isn't. I don't know why the movie didn't have her slap him in the face unless it's based on reality or this wanted to avoid the of-used shocked reaction to a slap of the face.
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| Paul Dano, Gabriel LaBelle play Burt, Sammy |
Sammy abandons film making in high school as we see the trials of that age. This segment has been done before in movies. I get this wants to connect all the dots, but that drags until Sammy gets a girlfriend. He returns to making movies as it's what he knows and what he does well. The movie ends when Sammy gets a job in television and even gets to meet legendary director John Ford.
It's a solid movie, but it's notable more for getting insight into Spielberg. We see a version of his past and inspiration. His focus on telling a story purely through visuals is a lesson for any aspiring film maker.
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