Film Review: ARMAGEDDON TIME (2022): James Gray’s New Film is Moving and Intriguing Despite Some Slow Spots

Armageddon Time Review

Armageddon Time (2022) Film Review, a movie written and directed by James Gray and starring Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Strong, Banks Repeta, Jaylin Webb, Andrew Polk, Tovah Feldshuh, Marcia Haufrecht, Teddy Coluca, Richard Bekins, Dane West, Landon James Forlenza, John Diehl, Jessica Chastain, Domenick Lombardozzi, Lizbeth Mackay and Jacob Mackinnon.

James Gray has crafted a very personal film about a young boy coming of age with the powerful but slightly flawed drama, Armageddon Time. This film is very realistic in its depiction of a family in Queens, New York during the year 1980. The mother in the family, Esther Graff (Anne Hathaway) is riding with her family at one point looking at houses and she says, “They have more money than God.” Esther is, of course, speaking of the owners because she comes from a smaller household where money is there but it’s really tight. Especially when she and her husband, Irving (Jeremy Strong) decide to send their son, Paul (Banks Repeta) to a private school. Armageddon Time has a lot on its plate in terms of heavy themes and, for the most part, the movie is a success.

Set during a time on the cusp of the Ronald Reagan-era, the movie knows its characters and their inner-workings to a tee. When Reagan gets elected President of the United States late in the film, the adults in the family the film centers around believe the country is doomed. It is their own negative frame of mind that comes from their past experiences that leads them to believe this. The family believes that Paul’s desire to be an artist could lead to his demise because they’re grounded in a different kind of reality than the children are. Anne Hathaway is perfectly cast as Esther and she’s definitely got the nuances of this character down pat. As Paul’s grandpa, Aaron Rabinowitz, Anthony Hopkins once again revels in a part that is perfectly suited for his talents. Aaron helps Paul find peace in his life and when Aaron gets surgery late in the film, Paul loves him so much that he sits by his side in the hospital.

A lot of Armageddon Time is focused on the time Paul spends in the classroom with his friend Johnny Davis (Jaylin Webb) and their teacher, Mr. Turkeltaub (Andrew Polk). I think this is where the movie is flawed because although Paul does spend much time in school that affects his outside life with his family, I didn’t feel these scenes were of great importance or very interesting in the grand scheme of things. When the two young friends sneak away from a class trip to the Guggenheim museum, it is not plausible that nobody goes looking for them, either. In fact, the matter of them sneaking away is never truly discussed nor does it even come up again. These scenes also show Turkeltaub physically removing Johnny from the classroom to take him to the principal which is something that would never happen today and is thus reflective of the time period the movie is set in.

There is a great series of scenes that showcase the remarkable talent of Jeremy Strong in the role of Paul’s dad, Irving. One is when the father responds viciously to something Paul says while the other main effective sequence comes when Irving is in a car with Paul after saving him from a dire situation. Strong is absolutely perfect in both these scenes, in particular, and astoundingly shows his character’s transformation over the course of the movie.

Repeta and Webb are the main stars of the movie and their friendship is a touching one. Johnny is Black and this makes for complex themes within the story line due to the fact that he comes from a poor family, has been left back in school and is seen as a lost cause by Mr. Turkeltaub. Paul doesn’t discriminate in his friendship with Johnny no matter what others think. The two form a powerful bond that is ultimately undermined by harsh realities which manifest themselves throughout the movie.

Filmmaker Gray goes for the more emotional aspects of the movie towards the end in his direction of the film and the decision ultimately works to the movie’s advantage. When Paul is sent to a private school, his family’s life changes from a financial standpoint but for the worse while Aaron’s physical condition also poses a threat to the family’s ability to find some sort of happy medium. Irving is being smothered financially so decisions must be made that are finally dealt with through Paul’s ultimate choice at the movie’s conclusion.

Anne Hathaway’s part is not too big in the picture but she hits every scene she’s in the way that she should. Irving and Esther are a couple that come from a difficult past and their religious and personal beliefs are the reason they raise their children as they do. Hopkins is a master thespian who is absolutely amazing as Aaron especially when he sits with Paul in a park and talks to him about how he may disappear from Paul’s life for a while. This is a touching moment for sure.

Banks Repeta is the star of the show, though. How well the movie resonates with the viewer will depend on whether or not the viewer likes his character. As a kid with aspirations to be an artist, Paul is flawed and is written off by characters in the movie as slow. As played by Repeta, the character is so much more than that and Repeta does a nice job acquitting himself admirably in the very difficult role he has been assigned. Jaylin Webb more than holds his own beside him.

Armageddon Time is a moving picture that is worth seeing. James Gray’s films are never simple and are always masterfully crafted from a technical standpoint. Hopkins, Strong and Hathaway are all terrific in a drama that almost always feels authentic save for the scene where nobody looks for the kids when they disappear from the museum trip. Almost all the character interactions and discussions feel real to life. Coming from someone who has lived in Queens almost his whole life (me), that should be praise in and of itself. Armageddon Time is a noble effort that certainly hits the emotional mark in terms of cinematic satisfaction.

Rating: 8/10

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