Well over five decades into his glistening career, Steven Spielberg delivers his most personal film, the semi-autobiographical The Fablemans. Informed by his childhood experiences, inspirations and traumas, Spielberg's love letter to the movies has earned itself an impressive seven Academy Award nominations - but is The Fablemans' haul one of genuine merit, or is it simply the film industry patting a beloved director on the back?
Inspired by the moving images he sees on the silver screen, a young boy becomes determined to create his own art. But as he grows into a man, and a shattering family secret changes his view on the world around him, the truth that the movies expose becomes too much to handle. The Fablemans stars Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen and Judd Hirsch.
As a pair of reliable hands go, Spielberg is amongst the most trustworthy, and so it should be a surprise to very few that The Fablemans is a consistently solid picture imbued with the movie magic the film seeks to evoke. Rendered with a sensitivity birthed by his closeness to the material, Spielberg's steadfast direction is delicately handled and carefully mounts the various tones and strands of The Fablemans with ease. Particularly in the scenes that recreate the short films of his childhood, there's an enchanting quality that feels not only beautifully satisfying for cinema lovers, but a genuine reminder as to why Spielberg is such a household name and beloved figure in the industry -- he just gets it.
Spielberg co-writers The Fableman's screenplay alongside Tony Kushner, balancing the more personal viewpoint of family and parental support with a wider appreciation of the filmmaking process and its almost transcendental ability to provide comfort, refuge and clarity. It paints its characters with warmth and humanity while refusing to shy away from their flaws, creating a film with greater depth and vulnerability as a result. If the narrative seems a little more scattershot, with certain developments feeling a little bit soap opera at times - one particular moment feels very Eastenders - the sheer amount of heart imbued at every turn is enough to keep you on its side for its somewhat over-indulgent 151-minute runtime.
It's a uniformly strong cast with Spielberg stand-in Gabriel LaBelle shining bright as Sammy. With a wide-eyed wonder with a camera in his hand juxtaposed with the breakdown of his family unit and the anti-Semitic bullying he endures, LaBelle plays both sides of the character with a maturity that remains compelling throughout. He ably handles the emotion coursing throughout the film with the more humourous moments that enrich your enjoyment of the overall piece.
Michelle Williams, always a captivating presence, brings an invigorating energy to the role of Mitzi Schidkraut-Fableman; her free-spirited, artistic nature blossoms but is well contrasted against the challenges and anguish she faces mentally, crafting a character of complexity that Williams conveys with care. Paul Dano's more pragmatic Burt Fableman may have to play it straighter and more controlled for the majority of the film's runtime but his most impressive moments come in his final scene opposite LaBelle, brimming with an emotional vulnerability you almost wish the film hadn't guarded us against for so long.
The Fablemans is a solid feature from one of cinema's most acclaimed directors who, by leaning personal, manages to craft a sincere and clearly sentimental picture that is impossible to dislike but is unlikely to top any rankings of Spielberg's filmography. While it may be missing a universality that would mean more people could emotionally connect to it, there's no denying that cinephiles in particular will fall under a spell this love letter to cinema casts, and you will almost certainly come away with greater respect for one of cinema's most legendary voices. With a sense of optimism amongst an otherwise bittersweet tale of art and family, The Fablemans will have you heading towards the horizon with a pep in your step.