The Fabelmans

The Fabelmans

A coming-of-age story about a young man’s discovery of a shattering family secret and an exploration of the power of movies to help us see the truth about each other and ourselves.

  • Released: 2022-11-11
  • Runtime: 151 minutes
  • Genre: Drama
  • Stars: Gabriel LaBelle, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Julia Butters, Judd Hirsch, Jeannie Berlin, Robin Bartlett, Oakes Fegley, Chloe East, Gabriel Bateman, Art Bonilla, Jonathan Hadary, Sam Rechner, Isabelle Kusman, Keeley Karsten, Sophia Kopera, Greg Grunberg, James Urbaniak, Lane Factor, Meredith VanCuyk
  • Director: Steven Spielberg
 Comments
  • CinemaClown - 13 January 2023
    GOAT Just GOATing
    From the greatest filmmaker of all time comes a semi-autobiographical account that at long last gives his fans & followers a fascinating insight into his origins & the essential events that shaped him as the creative powerhouse that we all know & celebrate today. Crafted with enormous care, told with unfailing precision and exhibiting first-rate execution on all fronts, The Fabelmans is yet another masterpiece from the master storyteller.

    Co-written & directed by Steven Spielberg, the film presents the esteemed filmmaker mustering enough courage to put up his vulnerable side on screen for others to look at & reflect upon. It is an incredibly intimate & personal effort and yet, there isn't any shortage of cinematic bravura & filmmaking ingenuity on display here. Also, despite the poignance & critical eye, it brims with all the awe, warmth & wonder that makes his works so profound & comforting.

    Apart from serving as a gripping coming-of-age drama, the film explores the power of cinema, its ability to evoke memories, expose truths in them as they are and also offer refuge when the harsh realities of life become overwhelming. Tony Kushner's splendid script, Janusz Kaminski's impeccable cinematography, Michael Kahn's tight editing & John Williams' touching score also conjure pure magic while sincere, nuanced performances from the cast keep us invested in the picture.

    Overall, The Fabelmans is one of the best all-round films of the year that makes for a beautiful ode to cinema, a powerfully moving memoir, a captivating coming-of-age story & a compelling family drama all at once, and ranks right up there with Spielberg's finest directorial efforts. It is light & unassuming on surface but never in a way that conceals its emotional complexity & in-depth layers. A fitting end to a legendary director-composer collaboration, Spielberg's latest is two GOATs just GOATing together one last time.
  • Samual-M - 10 January 2023
    10/10
    Steven Spielberg is a great director. But what does that mean? For me, it's more than choosing camera setups. To me, it starts with producing and having a vision. Spielberg digs deep into his memory to facilitate a story worthy of the big screen with the help of a great co-writer in Tony Kushner.

    The film flowed smoothly from scene to scene, sequence to sequence. You really get a sense of what it must've been like to live in such a precarious environment for the young Spielberg.

    The ending was superb. Having David Lynch portray John Ford was a treat as well as Spielbergs recollection of the horizon anecdote.

    (That final shot was very clever.)

    At two hours & twenty-three minutes, the story felt like it was just beginning but we have more than a hint of how it ended up for the newcomer Sammy Fabelman.

    The only thing this film suffered from was a horribly cut trailer that didn't provoke any interest from me. I went on to watch because it's one of the greatest filmmakers living & was glad that he did not disappoint.

    I really hope the team that crafted this film wins some awards for executing such a strong film.

    Mazel tov, Mr. Spielberg!