On January 19, the new film by Steven Spielberg “Fablemen” finally reached Ukrainian cinemas. And he did it as a fresh winner of the “Golden Globe” in the nominations for the best film (drama) and director. In this review, we tell why the film received universal recognition from viewers and critics.

“Fabelmans” / The Fabelmans

Genre autobiographical drama
Director Steven Spielberg
In roles Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Julia Butters, David Lynch
Premiere cinemas, digital services
Graduation year 2022
Site IMDb

It is a calm January evening in 1952 outside. A young Jewish couple, Bert and Mitzi Fabelman, take their young son, Sammy, to the cinema for the first time. The frightened boy does not show much desire to visit the spacious, crowded movie theater, but the parents assure the kid that there is nothing to be afraid of.

As a result, the impressionable Sammy will be literally captivated by the train-car collision scene in Cecil B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show. Later, with great inspiration, he recreates it on his toy railway. And let the father grumble something disgruntled that it is not worth hitting toys, it is nothing. The main thing is that for the first time in his life, Sammy will experience something that he has not experienced before.

Later, the mother would allow her son to take the father’s 8mm camera to film this disaster scene. Then the magical action can be observed at any time without side effects in the form of broken toys. This will be the boy’s first cinematic experience. Since that time, he will no longer be able to imagine his life without looking at this world through the lens of a movie camera.

“Fablemen” is an autobiographical film by Steven Spielberg. A person who forever changed the film industry and gave the world a huge number of beautiful films. This is clearly a personal film in the career of a famous director. Here, the viewer has a unique opportunity to look at the childhood and youth of the future legend, and at the same time to better understand Spielberg’s filmography, which is so voluminous and diverse.

Spielberg does not want to seem intrusive and selfish, so he delicately calls his film by another name. In addition, despite attempts to tell a deeply personal story, the director does not forget about the viewer. He certainly does not require any sympathy, and, given the wealth of experience, produces a very interesting film, even a little fabulous. On the one hand, it is permeated with longing for a beautiful epoch that has long passed, nostalgic notes, self-reflection. But on the other hand, it’s just a wonderful and extremely frank retro-drama.

However, the film does not try to burden the viewer with pretentious drama and has a phenomenally subtle sense of humor. This is an amazing journey into the past, which also has a share of fiction. But it really allows you to look not only at the history of the formation of a great cinematographer, but also at what events will affect his worldview and how it will affect future masterpieces.

Obviously, the family played the main role in the life of the young Spielberg/Fabelman. Dad was a skilled computer engineer, mom was a housewife, forced to give up her career as a pianist and raise 4 children. Due to the father’s work and, in particular, an invitation to work at IBM, the family had to move several times.

In California, Sammy had to endure anti-Semitic abuse. And soon the parents decided to divorce. All this left a big mark on the emotional state of the teenager and her sisters. But once again, Spielberg does not demand sympathy from the viewer. In this way, he tries to demonstrate what exactly influenced his professional, adult cinematography.

It is interesting to watch how the young hero created his first amateur school films. Together with his boy scout friends, he will one day find himself at a screening of the western “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” with John Wayne. And in a moment, the guy will start shooting his own movie about stripping in the Wild West. To make the shootout scene look more authentic, the young man will resort to amazing ingenuity.

A large number of scenes here take place to the accompaniment of a piano, which adds an appropriate, somewhat lyrical mood with a touch of melancholy. Helping to follow the early stage of the young prodigy’s life is the calm, smooth camera of Spielberg’s permanent cinematographer Janusz Kaminski.

Worthy mentions and acting performances. Special mention should be made of the excellent performances of Gabriel LaBelle and Michelle Williams. The small appearance of 87-year-old Judd Hirsch in the role of one of the Fabelman relatives, who also has connections with the cinema and gives some advice to the main character, looks beautiful. A real celebration will be the cameo of David Lynch, who should be given some kind of award just for lighting a cigar.

It is obvious that “Fablemen” is not only a story about the titular family and how one boy fell in love with cinema. The tape also talks about growing up, self-acceptance and perception of the surrounding world, youthful dreams. After all, about the magic of cinema.

And, of course, about the willingness to devote oneself to the work of a lifetime. This is not another shiny Hollywood success story. It’s a kind of Steven Spielberg psychotherapy session that’s an absolute pleasure to witness.

Pros:
excellent script and production, fascinating story, outstanding acting, author’s candor, lack of recorded manipulative drama, excellent veteran cameos, subtle sense of humor, good recreation of the 60s era

Cons:
minimal, barely perceptible prolongation of the story

Conclusion:

Steven Spielberg created the kind of cinema that he needed and that was exciting for the viewer. The director acted as a screenwriter for the first time in many years, but who is better able to write the story of your life than you (Tony Kushner became the second screenwriter). The result was almost perfect and very skillful work. And also, obviously, a worthy representative of this year’s awards season