In the engaging and extremely personal drama "The Fabelmans," Steven Spielberg reflects on his childhood and adolescence. As someone who has given us countless cinematic magic and wonder, patient and attentive film lovers will have much to appreciate here. The film's story centers around a young Spielberg, Sammy Fabelman, during his childhood and adolescence, covering a time period from about roughly age 7 to age 20. The film particularly focuses on his interest in filmmaking and how it related to obtaining his photography badge as a Boy Scout, his parents' relationship and eventual divorce, his time at school, and the early influences on him as a filmmaker. Spielberg's creative process is nodded to throughout in unique and engaging little details. This makes the film even more engaging for cinephiles, although more casual viewers may not find it--or these elements in and of themselves--to be as inherently compelling.

It is no surprise that such a tender, heartfelt film has emotionally charged and engaging performances. Gabriel LaBelle does a compelling job playing an adolescent Fabelman, but arguably the standout of the cast is Michelle Williams' riveting performance as Mitzi Fabelman, Fabelman's mother. She is able to convey a full emotional range calibrated to an interpersonal scale unique for each scene--from how she engages with her husband Burt (Paul Dano,) to her son, and to others. Judd Hirsch also provides a fleeting but great performance as an older uncle who imparts words of wisdom into Fabelman. He's only in the movie for one scene about a third of the way into the movie, but his dialogue and mannerisms are extremely impactful. Tony Kushner's screenplay is able to come across as emotionally powerful yet authentic and human. You can tell he works incredibly well with Spielberg and understands the role a screenplay has in creating a compelling story for a film with emotionally powerful performances to boot. The film is leisurely paced and runs for over two and a half hours, but because its personal stakes and nature are compelling, it never feels lethargic nor overstaying its welcome. Some scenes still feel a bit saccharine, and other times the flow of its narrative can be a bit scattered. These elements hold back "The Fabelmans" from true greatness, but this potent memoir from a true cinematic luminary is still a generally strong film. Recommended. 7.5/10.