The Fabelmans
For those aspiring filmmakers in the audience, there’s inspiration to be had here in dribs and drabs. But for the most part, The Fabelmans plays as an oddly unaffecting family drama without resolution or reason for being.
Young Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle), growing up in a post World War II era, dreams of being a filmmaker. His family, including mother Mitzi (Michelle Williams), father Burt (Paul Dano), oddly close family friend Bennie Loewy (Seth Rogen) and a pair of sisters, supports his ambition; acting in, funding and supporting the short films the young Sammy creates. His propensity for camera usage, however, eventually unveils a terrible secret that shatters Sammy’s world. Pushing aside filmmaking, and moving across country with his family, the young man has to eventually learn how film can help him explore and overcome his pain, and rebuild his fragile dreams.
Spielberg tackles this semi-autobiographical tale with aplomb. There’s plenty of classic movie magic on display, and the love of filmmaking is certainly very evident. For the film lovers, filmmakers and dreamers in the audience, that love of filmmaking can be incredibly engaging. You might find your eyes starring over, impressed by the unrivalled way that Spielberg can make you dream like no other director in the world can. That’s worth the price of admission alone.
LaBelle is tremendous in the lead role. He brings an energy and pathos to the piece that feels real and lived in. That being said, the rest of the cast doesn’t always fare so well. Rogen misses on some key emotional moments, and Williams makes some truly baffling choices when it comes to Mitzi that make her palpably unlikeable.
The thing that feels so off about The Fabelmans is that while on the one hand it is a love letter to cinema, and the ceaseless pull of dreams, on the other hand it is a traumatic family drama that never really hits home.
Oh and that ending scene. Fantastic.
