The Fabelmans: Spielberg at the peak of his powers

ROOSTER: Where the hell do you go all day?

It’s like our cats think we WANT to be gone all day. Obviously, we are not able to tell our fur babies that we will be back in a couple of hours, for all we know, they think we abandon them for 8-10 hours a day. How do we say, “I would much rather stay and cuddle you all day long and not attend my lectures,” to a cat that doesn’t even know what a lecture is. Regardless, I don’t think they get much of a say when they live rent free in MY house. Check yo self before you wreck yo self, Rooster.

A nonstop issue we face with our kittens is a lack of boundaries. Cow has a fixation on the toilet, whether I’m on it or not. Sitting on the toilet comes with the constant companionship of Cow in my lap. Miss Cow has now successfully evaded my attempts to keep her out of the toilet as I stand up to flush TWICE. Long story short (while revealing as little disgusting information as possible) it always ends in an unceremonious and traumatizing bath time experience.

At this point, I don’t have a good answer for this one. My best advice is to distract with a noisy toy and lock the door as quickly as humanly possible.

ROOSTER: What happened to my balls???????????????

How do you explain to your cat that you took their manhood? My approach, you don’t. I chose to gaslight my cat and he now thinks (if I was successful) that the vet went awol and I had no prior knowledge. If you are trying to take a less manipulative approach, say you were protecting them from the crazy strays that would baby trap him.

ROOSTER: Why don’t you leave my glass toys on the counter anymore?

I CAN’T AFFORD TO BUY MORE GLASSES. The better question is how did I start the year with an entire set of wine and regular glasses and now I have TWO regular glasses and NO wine glasses. Did you know they made silicone shot glasses? I didn’t, but now they’re the only things I own! To put it shortly, we don’t put the glass toys on the counter anymore because we no longer have glass toys to put out.

One year removed from his masterful re-imagining of “West Side Story,” legendary Director Steven Spielberg returns with a deeply personal story about his childhood, how he grew to love movies and the turmoil that came with his parents’ relationship and looming divorce.

Spielberg says the film has been a dream project of his for over 20 years, but out of fear of hurting either of his parents with their portrayals, he waited until they had both passed to begin development.

For his entire career, Spielberg has let aspects of his youth and his connection (or lack thereof) to his parents seep through into his movies. Notably, in “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” the missing father-figure is a major element of the emotional strings that tie the movie together.

Seeing the decades of those themes materialize in their full form was well worth the wait. The film is amazing, and one of my favorites of 2022. The film is full of so much intent that you can truly tell it has been bouncing around in Spielberg’s mind for years.

COW: Why can’t I share your dinner?

situations that involve his parents but also in how it affects day-today life, relationships and mental health. LaBelle perfectly captures the fear of abandonment and the need to impress that comes with divorce.

Paul Dano and Michelle Williams play Burt and Mitzi Fabelman respectively, representing his father and mother. Both give fantastic performances, but Williams brings her all as Mitzi. She’s given the impossible task of being the backbone of the emotional weight of this film, with nearly every single emotional thread tracing back to her character in one way or another.

Spielberg reunites with “Schindler’s List” and “West Side Story” cinematographer Janusz Kamiński here, and he delivers once again. Every move the camera makes is incredibly intentional, every shot is loaded with emotion.

For the most part, this review has been focused on the gloom of the story but there is a lot here for the warmer of hearts as well. Sammy’s filmmaking endeavors are incredibly endearing to watch and when things are going well for his character, the movie reflects that and shifts to a far lighter tone.

COW: Where’s my catnip?

I recently learned, from unreliable and unnamed sources, that catnip doesn’t affect cats until they’re over 6 months old. I’ve decided to use this delightful nugget of informa-

COW: Why do you go behind that horrible, cursed curtain in the bathroom and why can’t I come?

Cow is convinced that the shower is an evil spirit that sprays poison at me once a day. Every single time she’s been allowed in the bathroom while I’ve been in the shower, she

While I can’t speak for Rooster, I can say that Cow throws the fit of the century every time a shred of cheese leaves the fridge. I’m talking about throwing herself at walls, jumping off counters, and trying to bust through doors. Every time I indulge her, I’m met with the smelliest poops I’ve ever smelt. Girl … you’re lactose intolerant.

Gabriel LaBelle plays Sammy Fabelman, a young and inspired filmmaker who struggles with his parents’ differing enthusiasm about his passion, while tackling a life-altering revelation about their relationship and the strain it puts on the family.

LaBelle’s performance is phenomenal. He enriches the film with a hopefulness and eagerness that is pulled away and brought back in a way that can feel gut-punching at times.

Spielberg doesn’t shy away from the harrowing moments of being a child-of-divorce. Not only in the

This was one of the best films of 2022. It’s stuffed with incredible performances, and Spielberg is at the top of his game. The film won ‘Best Motion Picture Drama’ at the Golden Globe Awards and will certainly be in-play for various Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Spielberg could retire after this with a perfect bow on the top of his career. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like that will be the case, but it would’ve been perfectly sentimental.

“The Fabelmans” is available for digital purchase and will be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray and DVD on Feb. 14.