The Fabelmans - a Steven Spielberg film through and through

 POINT RICHMOND, California - The Fabelmans is reportedly a semi-autobiographical look at director Steven Spielberg's early life.

     I won't dwell on how much is - or isn't - drawn from actual events. It really doesn't matter. The Fabelmans is a neatly told bit of cinema that you would recognize as a Spieberg film even if his name wasn't on it. It's so Spielberg that I was waiting for E.T. to make a cameo guest appearance somewhere during the high school scenes.

     It's not always a comfortable film. There's a stiff measure of anti-semitism experienced by the young man who represents a young Steven growing up. And for anyone who was bullied in high school, it will bring up some very nasty memories. Certainly did for me.

     But the family dynamics are vintage depicting a Jewish family in the post World War II era. Family life is leavened with plenty of comedy and copious amounts of stereotypical family back-and-forth banter in dining room scenes.

     As you would expect, the directing is superb. And so is the acting. It's easy to immerse in The Fabelmans because all the characters play their parts so convincingly they lose their actor veneer.  Actor Paul Dano as the father is particularly effective. He's an upstanding full-of-love Dad perplexed by his son's interest in making movies. 

     The husband-wife dynamic I leave for readers to suss out by viewing The Fabelmans. But watch actress Michelle Williams (as the mother) with a sharp eye. She steals scenes like Ty Cobb used to steal bases.