The Fabelmans is Steven Spielberg’s most personal film and it is both a love letter to cinema and a soul searching examination of his own family and upbringing. Much of The Fabelmans is pure autobiography. It shows how a young Jewish boy in New Jersey - Sammy Fabelman (played by Gabriel LaBelle) - becomes obsessed with filmmaking while dealing with the usual growing pains of school, dating, and family dynamics (with a side order of anti-semitism). However, although the film’s focus is on Spielberg/Sammy, the emotional centre of The Fabelmans is the complicated and turbulent relationship between his mum and dad, brilliantly played by Paul Dano and Michelle Williams. Judd Hirch has a very funny cameo as eccentric Uncle Boris, and Seth Rogan also plays a pivotal role in the story.

Given that much of what Spielberg puts on screen in the film is pretty based on real events, at times The Fabelmans feels like the most glossy home-movie of all time, as well as possibly the most expensive therapy session ever. It received seven Oscar nominations and won Golden Globes for best film and best director.

We do sometimes get approached by audience members to turn on the subtitles for films. Our approach at Oakwood Cinema is to not put up the subtitles for English language films, unless there is a particular need to due to accent or speed of dialogue. We do find that when we have put on subtitles for English language films, we get complaints from people who find them an unwelcome distraction. And when we have asked our audiences, most prefer no subtitles. Please note, we do have a hearing loop available