One of our all-time great directors Steven Spielberg is back and this time he's returned with a very personal film that is loosely inspired by his own childhood. This one premiered in Toronto for the Toronto International Film Festival last weekend where I was very lucky enough to catch a very early screening of. The Fabelmans is described as Spielberg's semi-autobiography and also his take on the coming of age film genre. As a massive fan of both Spielberg and coming-of-age films it brings me great joy to report that The Fabelmans is not only one of the year's very best films, but I'd go as far as to say it's easily amongst the legendary director's very best films in the last few decades.
This is a personal, old fashioned, and heartfelt family drama that really only Spielberg could have made. Spielberg paints a very clear love letter to the art of filmmaking while also paying tribute to his own childhood. On its surface this is a fairly traditional coming of age story of a child wanting to fulfill his own dreams while also dealing with obstacles within his own family, but in Spielberg's guidance the film has passion, heart, and purpose. It is a very enjoyable film that has a lot to say about making films, but it's ultimately the family dynamics that form and the performances that emotionally carry this film. It's maybe the warmest film Spielberg has ever made and is even a lot funnier than I was anticipating as well, but it won't be afraid to rip your heart as well with heartbreaking moments.
The performances from this ensemble cast across the board are excellent and I anticipate multiple Oscar nominations. It's no secret that Michelle Williams is one of our greatest actresses working today and she continues to prove that with another heartbreaking performance. This role easily could have been portrayed in a manner that is way too melodramatic, but Williams delivers beautiful work that is both devastating and grounded. Williams could be looking at winning her long overdue Oscar with this work. Paul Dano also gives a terrifically understated performance. Seth Rogen's screentime is minimal, but his role is crucial and he's actually quite good here too. Judd Hirsch and the great David Lynch are merely cameos, but their scenes are maybe my favorite ones in the entire film. But young Gabriel LaBelle as our main lead Sammy deserves just as much credit here as he has the difficult task of acting alongside all of these veterans and still carrying so much of this film on his shoulders which he does do quite well. I hope we see a lot more of him. I did not even recognize Julia Butters at first as one of Sammy's sisters, but she has one scene in particular that really struck me and reminded me that this is certainly a young actress to watch out for.
The Oscars will be all over this one with not only the big nominations, but also the technical awards too. The cinematography work from Janusz Kaminski is gorgeous and I very much expect him to be earning himself another nod this year. Him & Spielberg really make quite the great pair. Speaking of great Spielberg collaborators, this one's musical score is composed by John Williams and it's another great one to add to his already inspiring resume. Spielberg penned this screenplay with Tony Kushner and I genuinely believe it's some of the best work the two of them have accomplished together. Some are already calling this film a little too sappy, but this one really just struck a chord with me and I think a lot of that is for sure credit to this script here. It's emotional and heartfelt when it needs to be, but the film knows when it's the right moment to sprinkle in some comedic relief too.
The Fabelmans isn't perfect. It takes a little bit of time to find its stride and is a tad paint by the numbers. But it is easily one of the very best films of 2022 and I imagine it's definitely an early front runner for this year's Best Picture race. It's also even one of Spielberg's best films period and that's obviously saying something. Spielberg is nearly incapable of making a bad film in my eyes, but it's this film and his West Side Story remake from just last year that I feel standout as the two very best films he's made since Catch Me If You Can all the way back in 2002. His work in this one reminded me not only why I fell in love with films in the first place, but also him as one of my favorite directors of all-time. I suspect even general audiences will fall hard for his latest film hence why I am not shocked in the slightest that this won the People's Choice Award at TIFF. It's well deserved.
Final Grade: A