- Director : Steven Spielberg
- Actors : Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen
- Studio : Studio Distribution Services
- MPAA rating : PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 2
- Media Format : 4K, Digital_copy
- Run time : 151 minutes
- Release date : February 14, 2023
As disappointed as I was to hear Quentin Tarantino
announce his intended retirement from filmmaking due to beliefs that directors
often begin to slip in the twilight of their careers, each new Steven Spielberg
film seems to confirm this as a true statement for me. Spielberg is still a
highly competent filmmaker who releases polished products, but nothing in the
last two decades comes anywhere close to the first two decades of his career as
a director. Perhaps it is not fair to compare The Fabelmans to Jaws
or Schindler’s List, but I would be disappointed even if merely judging
Spielberg’s latest on its own merits alone. Despite all of the praise that has been
thrown at The Fabelmans by critics, I found myself in the minority of people
unimpressed with the screenplay supposedly based on Spielberg’s own adolescent
experiences.
Although inspired
by Spielberg’s journey to becoming a filmmaker, the screenplay co-written by
Tony Kushner is often far more preoccupied with family dysfunction in the
Fabelman household. While teenager Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) decides he
wants to be a filmmaker, he has tunnel vision about his creative process, which
initially distracts him from the problems in his family. There is the usual
family drama that comes with the death of older family members, as well as the
conflict between his creative pianist mother Mitzi (Michelle Williams) and his
logic-driven computer engineer father Burt (Paul Dano). This relationship is
further complicated by the looming presence of their family friend, Bennie
Loewy (Seth Rogen).
While the family
issues are somewhat relatable, they aren’t the character-defining moments of
trauma that the screenplay attempts to make them out to be. Sammy spends far
too much time bemoaning the fact that his father calls filmmaking a hobby, as
if this is evidence of a crippling lack of support. In reality, although Burt
is practical and realistic in his thinking, he also supports his son
financially at every turn and shows up to praise each of the films made. It is
hard to see this and feel bad for poor old young Spielberg. As far as the
relationship issues between Mitzi and Burt, there are far more volatile depictions
of marital problems, which make the scenes of drama in The Fabelmans
feel a little uneventful compared to how significant the screenplay tries to
make them seem. In other words, if this was the worst that Spielberg had to deal
with in terms of adversity, he should be thanking his parents rather than making
a movie about the struggles he faced.
The areas that
the film thrive are the moments of creative low budget filmmaking, and these
are also the bits likely to interest anyone watching this with knowledge that
it is based on Spielberg’s youth. Seeing the genres Spielberg would later make
major motion pictures in tackled as ultra-low budget films is fascinating,
though it doesn’t take up nearly as much of the screen time as the family drama,
unfortunately. The entire structure of the film is completely episodic, moving
from section to section without enough of a connection between each to feel
like the narrative has unity. Part of the problem is that supporting characters
are often given priority over the protagonist, only to then bounce back to
Sammy’s story in a way that feels scattered.
Performances have
inevitably come up in discussion, as The Fabelmans is clearly a year-end
awards contender, if only because of the filmmaker attached. Some of these performances
are great. While I didn’t find Sammy a relatable enough character, LaBelle is
charming enough in the role. Paul Dano is heartbreakingly good, despite his character
being tossed to the side in favor of Michelle Williams giving an exaggerated
and scenery-chewing performance that was more grating than anything I expected
from her. I would rather see Williams play Marilyn Monroe again rather than rewatch
this performance. Seth Rogen is just here to prove he can play a dramatic role,
only to provide some of the film’s only comedic relief. Judd Hirsch appears to
steal one scene before vanishing.
The filmmaking
is predictably effective in The Fabelmans, but it is also
disappointingly safe. There are no real surprises save the self-referential
final shot, which is a bit too on-the-nose. In a year where we had the
creativity of Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans
just feels generic. Remove Spielberg’s influence and I can’t imagine this would
even have made an impact.
The 4K Ultra
High Definition release does showcase the polished filmmaking style of one of a
director who is clearly Hollywood royalty. If I was more impressed with the
narrative itself, this would be easier to praise. But for those who like the
film more than I do, I’m sure this polished presentation will be appreciated.
It looks especially good during the sequences where Sammy is creating his cinematic
masterpieces, along with some of the questionable moments in the narrative like
the awkward camping trip and sudden storm warning.
The 4K release
also comes with a Blu-ray copy and a digital code for a third way to view the
film. The special features are included on both the 4K and Blu-ray discs,
though they are surprisingly sparce for such a highly promoted film. There are
three featurettes; “The Fabelmans: A Personal Journey,” “Family
Dynamics,” and “Crafting the World of The Fabelmans.”
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
Special Features: 5/10
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