The Fabelmans

The Fabelmans (Stephen Spielberg, 2022)

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Rating: Q=8, P=8 / Obsession

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4

Memoir, Family, Coming of Age, 1950s-1960s

What a beautiful story about Stephen Spielberg's childhood and adolescence. This story is much more than just a love lotter to cinema, as many reviewers have phrased it. This film is about independence, confidence, passion, conflicts of art vs. family and love vs. duty. It resonated so much with me despite being such a different experience from my own. This is what movies should do!

Movies and the moviegoing experience can be so personal and leave such an impact. I loved watching Spielberg's journey and how making movies helped him connect with his family, friends, communities, and himself. I can't praise this film enough--go see it!

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Elvis

Elvis (Baz Luhrmann, 2022)

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Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Biopic, Music, Race, 1950s-1970s

All films are a product of the time when they were created--even historical dramas or biopics. It's impossible not to have some contemporary elements or sensibilities seep in. Baz Luhrmann always impresses me with his ability to make a film that showcases this. His films both overtly and subtlety blend classic stories with today. He is a master of adaptation.

To make a film about Elvis seems perfect. I would argue that Elvis is Luhrmann's best film yet, and definitely his best adaptation. Everyone knows who Elvis is and knows his music. And most people understand the significance of his music and actions on both the musical world and American culture. But Luhrmann is able to show the magnitude of Elvis's impact through unique scripting (plot devices and choices) and editing and a powerful score/soundtrack. The film mimics its subject in so many ways.

There is also a nod to the world of the carnival and films like Nightmare Alley. Elvis is a tragedy, telling us how one of the first great American icons/heroes became a sideshow geek...

Mesmerizing film, amazing performances, brilliant musical choices.

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Alpha

Alpha (Albert Hughes, 2018)

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Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Adventure, Coming of Age, Pre-History

What a stunning film! Awe-inspiring scenery to match an epic journey. Alpha is the story of the first dog, but also a brutal journey of one young man and the bond he makes with another. It is about survival, resilience, trust, and loyalty. There aren't many films set in pre-history that imagine what life was like and don't feel too much like documentaries. This one is special--the constructed language, the clothing...I will watch this again and again.

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