Reviewing the Oscars Slate BY KIRK STEVENS
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Steven Spielberg confronts his own past in the film he was too afraid to make until now, and the end result is wonderful. The Fabelmans is the story of how Sammy Fabelman’s family, standing in for Spielberg’s own, fell apart and how he found comfort in filmmaking. Young Gabriel LaBelle carries the film balancing humor, pathos and the burden of genius all while honing his craft and discovering his family’s secrets through a literal lens. Anchoring Sammy and his three sisters are two lovely performances from Michelle Williams and Paul Dano, playing parents Mitzi and Burt Fabelman. The Fabelmans is a rich text. On the press tour for this film, Spielberg has noted that he has never gone to therapy, instead it was always making movies that did it for him. It’s fascinating to see one of the most successful directors of all-time portray his life on screen and leave the complications intact. Spielberg may
not be confronting, but certainly acknowledging, some mommy issues. Sammy Fabelman is depicted as a young prodigy, finding inventive new ways to stage shots and direct actors, even as a small child. His films get standing ovations and his ability to capture people on camera and manipulate the way they are portrayed through editing is addressed head on. You can call it self-serving or egotistical, but history has proven that Spielberg is right! He invented the blockbuster with Jaws. He won Oscars for Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan. He wowed audiences with a childlike sense of wonder in E.T. and Jurassic Park. Now he is shooting his own life with that very same childlike sense of wonder, and its among his very best work. This movie has already won at the Golden Globes and been among the critics and industry darlings this season. It made an impressive showing at the Oscars with nominations for Picture, Director, Actress, Screenplay, Production Design and more.
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Gina Prince-Blythewood is a talented artist who shines at directing romantic, character-based dramas and she de-
serves so many more opportunities than she has been given. The Woman King combines the personal, emotional touches of Prince-Bythewood’s previous work with the action packed intensity of The Old Guard, though the violence is less stylized. The film tells the true story of the Agojie, the West African all-female clan of warriors who protected the Dahomey Kingdom from the 17th century until the late 19th century. Set in the 1820’s, we follow General Nanisca, played by a commanding Viola Davis. She leads the Agojie on a mission to liberate Dahomean women from slavery under the Oyo Empire, which then leads to an all-out war.
