REVIEW: The Fabelmans, Spielberg’s cinematic voyage into his memories

Steven Spielberg has made 34 films covering many different genres, styles, and topics for over 50 years. From killer sharks and dinosaurs, to Nazi industrialists helping Jews escape the Holocaust, to sci-fi films about predicting crimes, Spielberg has done pretty much everything one can do in Hollywood. The one thing he had never done before was a coming of age film, and now he’s done his first. And he’s picked a subject that only he can truly portray; himself.

Paul Dano, Michelle Williams, and Seth Rogen in the Fabelmans, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical film about a teenage boy living in Arizona called Sammy Fabelman (played by Canadian newcomer Gabriel LaBelle). His parents, computer engineer Burt (played by Paul Dano from the Batman) and pianist Mitzi (played by Michelle Williams from Shutter Island) love their children very much. But as Sammy’s passion for filmmaking grows, he begins to notice the cracks in his parent’s relationship.

The names are obviously changed, so we don’t know how much of this film is accurate to his actual life. But what the film does accurately portray is a child’s passion for filmmaking. The Fabelmans soars when showing montages of Sammy’s creations, from covering his sisters with paper mache to make a horror film to the intensity of shooting a war scene with dozens of teenagers. That passion, that love for the magic of movie making is what anchors the film throughout it.

The relationship shown between Dano and Williams is loving, yet conflicted. Burt is logical and focused, and Dano’s performance hints at a large degree of pain underneath. He portrays a man who wants to support his family but can’t understand all of them. Yet he dreams for them to support him no matter what. Dano has built a fine repertoire of performances over his career, but this reserved, atypical performance is one of his strongest.

Williams plays the opposite, a bright character who loves to shine. She has a motherly glow throughout the film, and is frequently her son’s biggest encouragement. Williams’ performance is strongest in the moments of utter fancy, and sheer depression. She excels in the extremes, and her performance alongside Dano’s is a powerhouse for the ages. The love between fire and ice, the relation between art and science.

Gabriel LaBelle in the Fabelmans, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

While their performances are the components that connect the audience and draw us in, ultimately this a film about film. It’s about the combination of science and art that makes are brains think 24 photos in a second are actually moving. The film quite literally opens up with Dano’s character explaining how motion pictures work. This is a film made for anyone who has attended a film festival, anyone who has spent the day in the cinema. If you consider yourself a cinephile, a film fanatic or a movie maniac, the Fabelmans is Spielberg’s love letter to you.

The Fabelmans won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF this year, and is easily the frontrunner for Best Picture at the upcoming Academy Awards. This film gets a 5/5, and you can watch it in cinemas now!