The Fablemans (2022) - dir. Steven Spielberg
Reviewed by Darren Cunningham
Director Steven Spielberg has an extraordinary filmography with his highly revered and game changing cinematic achievements. He pretty much single-handedly changed the face of mid/late 1970’s movie making, with his strong visual aesthetic, warm themes and reverential style of presentation which largely avoids the pitfalls of pretence. He also heralded in the era of the summer blockbuster with his classic and much-admired Jaws – ’75.
Spielberg has a knack presenting something that may appear familiar yet showcases it in a manner that hasn’t quite been seen before. This skill and talent endorses how connected and immersed he is with his subject and the self-assuredness in how he wants to convey his message. Being a visual storyteller and balancing this cohesively with the written/spoken narrative is the essence of great moviemaking.
With The Fabelmans, Spielberg has created an intimate autobiographical approach to filming his own young life. Woody Allen did similar with his charming, cosy and nostalgic Radio Days – ‘87, in which he imbued his own brand of droll humour, focusing on his working-class family and a character representing him as young boy growing up circa WWII NY. Both directors were born into Jewish families, yet Spielberg’s parents were middling middle class. Spielberg here, has renamed his family the Fabelmans which includes 3 younger sisters.
Sammy Fabelman’s father Burt (Paul Dano) was a highly skilled electrical and computer engineer, and his mother Mitzi (Michelle Williams) a concert pianist who dedicated her life to family rather than pursue an artist’s career. Due to Burt’s work, the Fabelman’s moved state to state, from Ohio to Arizona and eventually California. This eventually created an odd family dynamic and dysfunction, not to mention complications with a family friend/work partner who became romantically involved with Sammy’s mother.
Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle), and his family appeared to enjoy their lives in Arizona with the wide-open spaces and bright arid environment. It also gave Sammy a great opportunity to experiment with his interested passion, 8mm film cameras. His school buddies and sisters were also willing participants in his hobby. This was something his father was somewhat concerned about, wanting Sammy to find something more practical vocational wise, than immersing himself in his film-making hobby.
Upon the move to California, the more complex and capricious adult world starts to encroach upon Sammy, compounded with the distress at his mother’s affair, (subtly captured on film), this gave rise to confusion about where he wanted to focus with his life. Also faced with high school bullying and bigotry due to his Jewish heritage, Sammy’s talent helps play a big part in confronting and even overcoming this.
Spielberg re-creates some of his own amateur films he originally made, which become an integral aspect to some of the sub-plots in the narrative. These amateur films, allow the viewer an insight into how he lets his captured images speak for themselves, offers understanding into his own directing style and more importantly, showcases re-occurring themes that have permeated his professional films. This well-conceived and intentioned film also ends on a beautiful note. For those interested in filmmaking and especially for those that love Spielberg, this film is must see.