Trying not to start with “The Fabelmans is a film about films” but it is, so I will. The Fabelmans is a film about films, not like Babylon though, a personal story about a filmmaker and how he became who he is. That sentence sounds like its going to be a profoundly boring film about building up someones own ego and self praise at how middle class obstacles were overcome while ignoring the blatant nepotism. However, it is not that, it is a movie about overcoming obstacles, not middle class ones necessarily, although they are middle class, anyone can go through marital problems, trust me…
Anyway, we open on a young Sami, going to the cinema for the first time, seeing a movie that is slightly too scary for a 5(?) year old child. He tries to claim control back from the fear by taking the crash into his own hands and filming it in his own way. He films and edits the film, which should alone be the reason he became Spielberg. I wasn’t even wiping for myself at that age, still just about doing it. He then starts making films starring his sisters, pulling their teeth and then running through to them having dust spread on them as they scream in a stagecoach. We see the progression of his filmmaking from holes in the celluloid for muzzle flashes, planks in the dust for explosions and actual directing of an actor, making him understand the character. We end on some advice from John Ford, telling him to not bore us with a middle horizon, which he then takes that advice for the final shot of the film, awkwardly correcting the horizon shot of Sam walking into the sunset of sound stages.
Its a really nice story with really sad elements. Turns out family is tough, difficult to label (fabel) anybody as anything except human in this film. Michelle WIlliams is lost, she has a passion that she can’t follow anymore because her life won’t allow it. Paul Dano can follow that career, he’s riding the wave of technology as it swells. This is exciting for him, something he’s been working on for a long time is now becoming relevant and hip, but also, cool. Sam is selfish and shitty to almost everyone at some stage, but he also made Jurrasic Park so he’s forgiven. Bullies do some antisemitism which really isn’t what we’re looking for, character wise. There’s no but in that sentence, they don’t have an excuse.
The messy camera work aside, this film is stunning. Shot and lit very much like a 60s movie remastered to modern resolution. This seems to be a Steven special as I thought the same with West Side Story. The film is presented with no particular stand out style in its camera work, just pleasing composition, lighting and movement. We get some wonderful variety in this film as the family state hops with Paul Dano’s technology career on the rise. Sonically, John Williams wiggles out a score that compliments the film but doesn’t steal the show, only noticing it come to the forefront in the slow moments when it comes to the front, making the emotion of the moment, more, so emotional, baby.
The film existing in its current form, made in the current day with the crew behind it is probably the last we’ll ever get. They’re all insanely old now. It makes it a bit more special, knowing that the team behind it worked together for so long and made this as their thank you to films. It not only tells Spielberg's story, but everyone behind the camera, falling in love with their aspects of film, leading them to where they are now. Its a movie that I can see people watching in the future and thinking of it as a classic, one to look back on and admire. Like in 50 years a film will come out with someone going to see this as their first film, making them fall in love with cinema. Glad I got to sit in a reclining seat and experience it when it came out. Also glad I get to critique it as if I know anything about anything.
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