The Fabelmans
The Fabelmans
Starring Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen
Directed by Steven Spielberg
People nowadays tend to dismiss movies as nothing more than flights of fancy, where agendas are shoved down peoples' throats and many believe that the theater-going experience is dead. Those people have lost the passion of movies, and what they really mean to the individual - a movie takes you to a different place, transports you body and soul into the immersive experience you view on the big screen like a magical mirror peering into a different universe. They inspire, they make you laugh, make you cry, make you scream, and make you fall in love. They remain in our memories for decades to come, and they bring families together, creating lifelong memories of watching a movie together every Christmas or Thanksgiving, and excites the creativity in us all. One of the most talented directors is Steven Spielberg, and "The Fabelmans" is his fictionalized story of how he first witnessed a major motion picture at a young age, and how it shaped him to go on to become one of the most decorated and memorable directors of all time.
In 1952, Mitzi (Michelle Williams) and Burt (Paul Dano) Fabelman take their young son Sam (Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord) to his first movie - "The Greatest Show on Earth" - and while at first he was worried about being scared by it, he finds himself truly inspired, especially after a train crash in the movie. He asks for a train set for Hanukkah, and proceeds to crash it like in the movie, to Burt's chagrin and Mitzi's wonder. She tells him to record it so he doesn't destroy his train set, and is awed by his natural talent when he shows her the short movie. Mitzi was always the talented one in the family, who played concert piano and saw the world in bright vivid color, while Burt was the more headstrong, practical parent who spent his time working and downplaying Sam's "hobby." Years later the family moves from New Jersey to Arizona, and a now-teen Sam (Gabriel LaBelle) and his Boy Scout friends make a film for his merit badge. The audience - including Mitzi, Burt, and Burt's best friend Bennie (Seth Rogen) - are amazed at Sam's talent, yet Burt maintains the fact that Sam needs to really focus on his future than his hobby. As Sam continues to pursue his passion, his family endures struggles and hardships that threaten to crack their very foundation, leading Sam to question his passion as he also continually pursues it.
"The Fabelmans" is a rare biopic film that doesn't feel like a biopic, because it's a bit more fictionalized than that. Speilberg doesn't include his real name but rather the made-up Fabelman name, and while the names are changed, all the events that take place on screen happened to Spielberg in real life. Cast and crew have said that they found the iconic director in tears, most notably Seth Rogen, who would often ask him if the events they were shooting happened in real life, and "the answer was 'yes' a hundred percent of the time." You can tell this is a Spielberg film from the first frame even without knowing who directed it due to his trademark style, but "The Fabelmans" also has something more than another Spielberg film - you sense the bleeding heart, the pure emotion, and the sheer exhilaration of memory from Spielberg's mind in each and every shot.
It's not easy to play the part of someone who lived, and even doubly so when the director is the person who's life you're portraying, and thankfully Spilberg gathered an A-list cast to bring his story to life. Michelle Williams gives one of her best performances to date as Mitzi, a free-spirited woman who exhibits a strong love for her children, yet also struggles with her past regrets and giving up on her dreams. She encourages Sam to pursue his dreams with reckless abandon, and simply dazzles on screen as she balances her role like an expert tightrope walker. Paul Dano has the thankless job of playing the boring and bland Burt, a man who sucks the magic out of the room by explaining everything with technical language, and plays the traditional father figure as he encourages Sam to find something that'll make him money, and not focus on his "hobby" as he oftentimes calls it. Seth Rogen sheds his offbeat comedic typecast as Bennie, who still showcases comedy but with a more dad-humor style. He is more akin to Mitzi than Burt, as he also enjoys the special things in life and sees the beauty in everything, and it's a rare treat to see Rogen tackling such a different role.
Yet the standout performance is newcomer Gabriel LaBelle, who has the daunting job of playing Spielberg's fictionalized self, Sam Fabelman. He accepts the challenge and somehow transcends the performance, giving Sam a deep, emotional feel that you can't help but fall in love with from the first moment you see him to the last. He is a free-spirited thinker like his mother, who never gives up on his dream entirely of making movies, and shows a true knack for the talent. This isn't a typical biopic where you gloss over a person's entire life like a Wikipedia entry, but rather a deep, nuanced, personal take on a small fraction of the director's most formidable years, and LaBelle proves himself perfect for the role.
The cinematography is also how you know this is a Spielberg film, because it hearkens back to his classic filming style of incorporating the fanciful with the general, the most iconic shot being a young Sam watching his short film on his hands. It encapsulates everything the film tells going forward, and each scene is impeccably shot and memorable, especially when Mitzi is dancing alone at the park with the headlights of the cars illuminating her. You see the wonder but you also see the natural, and you fall in love with all of it.
While Spielberg has gifted us with such memorable, eternally loved films like "Jaws," "E.T.," and "Schindler's List," this is the first time he tells his life story on the big screen. "My life with my mom and dad taught me a lesson," he told The Hollywood Reporter, "which I hope this film in a small way imparts, which is, when does a young person in a family start to see his parents as human beings?" More than just a love letter to cinema, "The Fabelmans" also is a love letter Spielberg wrote and directed for his parents, who passed away a few years ago. You see Sam's interactions with his parents and how at first they seemed like infallible deities, but as he grows up he sees their humanity and their personal struggles. In telling both stories, Spielberg proves his talent once again, and we as a human race are better off knowing that he never gave up on his dream, as his work will live on for centuries to come.
The Score: A+
In 1952, Mitzi (Michelle Williams) and Burt (Paul Dano) Fabelman take their young son Sam (Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord) to his first movie - "The Greatest Show on Earth" - and while at first he was worried about being scared by it, he finds himself truly inspired, especially after a train crash in the movie. He asks for a train set for Hanukkah, and proceeds to crash it like in the movie, to Burt's chagrin and Mitzi's wonder. She tells him to record it so he doesn't destroy his train set, and is awed by his natural talent when he shows her the short movie. Mitzi was always the talented one in the family, who played concert piano and saw the world in bright vivid color, while Burt was the more headstrong, practical parent who spent his time working and downplaying Sam's "hobby." Years later the family moves from New Jersey to Arizona, and a now-teen Sam (Gabriel LaBelle) and his Boy Scout friends make a film for his merit badge. The audience - including Mitzi, Burt, and Burt's best friend Bennie (Seth Rogen) - are amazed at Sam's talent, yet Burt maintains the fact that Sam needs to really focus on his future than his hobby. As Sam continues to pursue his passion, his family endures struggles and hardships that threaten to crack their very foundation, leading Sam to question his passion as he also continually pursues it.
"The Fabelmans" is a rare biopic film that doesn't feel like a biopic, because it's a bit more fictionalized than that. Speilberg doesn't include his real name but rather the made-up Fabelman name, and while the names are changed, all the events that take place on screen happened to Spielberg in real life. Cast and crew have said that they found the iconic director in tears, most notably Seth Rogen, who would often ask him if the events they were shooting happened in real life, and "the answer was 'yes' a hundred percent of the time." You can tell this is a Spielberg film from the first frame even without knowing who directed it due to his trademark style, but "The Fabelmans" also has something more than another Spielberg film - you sense the bleeding heart, the pure emotion, and the sheer exhilaration of memory from Spielberg's mind in each and every shot.
It's not easy to play the part of someone who lived, and even doubly so when the director is the person who's life you're portraying, and thankfully Spilberg gathered an A-list cast to bring his story to life. Michelle Williams gives one of her best performances to date as Mitzi, a free-spirited woman who exhibits a strong love for her children, yet also struggles with her past regrets and giving up on her dreams. She encourages Sam to pursue his dreams with reckless abandon, and simply dazzles on screen as she balances her role like an expert tightrope walker. Paul Dano has the thankless job of playing the boring and bland Burt, a man who sucks the magic out of the room by explaining everything with technical language, and plays the traditional father figure as he encourages Sam to find something that'll make him money, and not focus on his "hobby" as he oftentimes calls it. Seth Rogen sheds his offbeat comedic typecast as Bennie, who still showcases comedy but with a more dad-humor style. He is more akin to Mitzi than Burt, as he also enjoys the special things in life and sees the beauty in everything, and it's a rare treat to see Rogen tackling such a different role.
Yet the standout performance is newcomer Gabriel LaBelle, who has the daunting job of playing Spielberg's fictionalized self, Sam Fabelman. He accepts the challenge and somehow transcends the performance, giving Sam a deep, emotional feel that you can't help but fall in love with from the first moment you see him to the last. He is a free-spirited thinker like his mother, who never gives up on his dream entirely of making movies, and shows a true knack for the talent. This isn't a typical biopic where you gloss over a person's entire life like a Wikipedia entry, but rather a deep, nuanced, personal take on a small fraction of the director's most formidable years, and LaBelle proves himself perfect for the role.
The cinematography is also how you know this is a Spielberg film, because it hearkens back to his classic filming style of incorporating the fanciful with the general, the most iconic shot being a young Sam watching his short film on his hands. It encapsulates everything the film tells going forward, and each scene is impeccably shot and memorable, especially when Mitzi is dancing alone at the park with the headlights of the cars illuminating her. You see the wonder but you also see the natural, and you fall in love with all of it.
While Spielberg has gifted us with such memorable, eternally loved films like "Jaws," "E.T.," and "Schindler's List," this is the first time he tells his life story on the big screen. "My life with my mom and dad taught me a lesson," he told The Hollywood Reporter, "which I hope this film in a small way imparts, which is, when does a young person in a family start to see his parents as human beings?" More than just a love letter to cinema, "The Fabelmans" also is a love letter Spielberg wrote and directed for his parents, who passed away a few years ago. You see Sam's interactions with his parents and how at first they seemed like infallible deities, but as he grows up he sees their humanity and their personal struggles. In telling both stories, Spielberg proves his talent once again, and we as a human race are better off knowing that he never gave up on his dream, as his work will live on for centuries to come.
The Score: A+
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