The Fabelmans (2023)

Spielberg returns to our screens with his most personal film to date, quite a statement for a man thrilling us for nigh on five decades now. The Fabelmans is based on his own childhood and introduction to film in post-war America, and centers on Sammy (Gabriel Labelle, terrific in his first major role) growing up, firstly in New Jersey and then Arizona with his three sisters and their Mum and Dad (Michelle Williams and Paul Dano).

Although the film is a coming of age story of sorts, it’s mainly a homage to cinema wrapped in a family drama, and for the most part, Spielberg achieves this fusion rather expertly, harking back to past greats such as Cinema Paradiso (1988) or 8½ (1963), and it’s also impossible to miss the influence of Man With A Movie Camera (1929).

The early scenes of The Fabelmans however, show Spielberg going back even further to the arrival of cinema itself. After attending a screening of The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) with his parents, Sammy receives the gift of a train from his Father, which he then becomes obsessed with crashing, and later on filming the crashes with the help of his mother. This is Spielberg’s nod to Arrival of a Train (1896), Georges Melies’ silent actuality film, and coincides nicely with Sammy’s discovery of film. Although The Fabelmans isn’t up there with Spielberg’s finest work (his last truly excellent film was arguably 2005’s Munich) his recent output has been supremely solid, including the hugely enjoyable Bridge of Spies (2015) or Lincoln (2012) and The Fabelmans sits alongside his latter work rather nicely, with the added bonus of giving us a fascinating insight into the great man’s upbringing and introduction to film.

Paul Dano and Michelle Williams are marvelous in their roles, and are supported surprisingly well by Seth Rogan, sporting an unrecognisably neat haircut. The Fabelmans will garner plenty of attention and awards buzz, and it’s thoroughly enjoyable; made by a man who clearly cares about telling the story, but you do wonder whether he’ll make something as raw as Duel (1971) or as hard hitting as Schindler’s List (1993) again before he calls time on what has been a simply staggering career. 7.5/10