A wide eyed anxious boy becomes interested in filmmaking, while weathering his parents’ difficult relationship and classmates’ anti-Semitism. 

Spielberg is a legend, of course, and we have all loved his extraordinary body of work. Still, I’m trying to separate my feelings about all of that from my feelings about this movie. 

I did not love it. There are excellent performances and beautiful photography, but the script often gives characters not-great dialog and hard-to-swallow actions. 

There is also an air of Importance attaching to everything, and that did not win me over. 

Still, if anyone deserves a victory lap, it’s Mr. Spielberg. Thanks for everything.