THE FABELMANS at The Screening Room

About

THE FABELMANS (2022) Cert 12
Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel LaBelle. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

"A Hilarious and Heartbreaking Gem"

Steven Spielberg's latest film is also his most personal by far; a largely autobiographical tale of his own childhood journey towards becoming a filmmaker at the same time as his parents' marriage was slowly disintegrating. It's hilarious and heart-breaking by turns, and features truly great performances from Michelle Williams as the young Spielberg's untameable and free-spirited mother and Paul Dano as her adoring but buttoned-down husband.

The critics raved over the movie, and it looked a sure bet for multiple Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actress (for Williams) but was in the end undeservedly overlooked. Yet it remains one of Spielberg's very best films; all the better for its lack of big budget bluster in favour of character and clear-eyed observation.

It's a fascinating insight into the childhood events that laid the foundations for the most successful career in cinema history, and also an astute and perceptive study of the challenges involved in keeping a marriage alive and raising a family.