I greatly admire Steven Spielberg; I don't ALWAYS love him. Put simply, there have been times he has applied his prodigious talents to minor films (e.g., The Terminal, West Side Story).

I just saw The Fabelmans, and I really loved it. I have rarely seen a film where every single shot is so carefully, meticulously and lovingly crafted. It was obvious that this semi-autobiographical movie was close to his heart (indeed, those are the projects that have produced his BEST films, such as E. T., Schindler's List, and Saving Private Ryan. It is clearly the work of a mature artist who is in the later years of his life and wants to tell his own story.

Spielberg co-wrote the screenplay with Pulitzer Prize-winner Tony Kushner, and the contributions of a major playwright are evident here in the dramaturgy, particularly the dialogue. The other technical contributions, including production design, cinematography and editing all support the film mightily.

The cast is extremely effective under the director's fine hand, with Paul Dano adding unexpected maturity as Mr. Fabelman, and the always superb Michelle Williams breaking my heart as the complicated matriarch. (This could FINALLY be her Oscar performance. ) This space is not the place for a detailed or robust review, but I will say that The Fabelmans jumps to my pantheon of Spielberg's best films. I think it was a movie that he NEEDED to make, and I'm pleased that he did it with care rather than a reckless abandon.

A POSTSCRIPT TO MY FELLOW CINEASTES: I'm not giving anything away to say that the film concludes with Sammy, the Spielberg's stand-in character, meeting the great director John Ford. The person cast as Ford is a bit of a surprise and a bit of an inside joke. Don't reveal it here to other IMDB readers; just enjoy it.