ARMAGEDDON TIME - Review | Cannes Film Festival 2022

James Gray's latest film is a profound and poignant memory piece that might be his most emotionally moving film to date. A very grounded and believable look at what a privileged Jewish boy growing up in Queens during the 1980s would look like. Jeremy Strong is an absolute standout from a great cast that fully embodies each of their characters. That along with the film authentically tackling themes of race and class division, capitalist values, and societal expectations which bring much more depth to its screenplay. Despite having a straightforward approach to telling the story. That doesn't take away from the resonating script that leaves an impression regarding the current state of the world compared to before.

Still Courtesy - Focus Features

The film follows Paul Graff (portrayed by Michael Banks Repeta) as an outsider in his public middle school that aspires to become an artist. His parents (portrayed by Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong) seem to lack being able to connect with him unlike his grandfather (portrayed by Anthony Hopkins) as they struggle to decide what they should do about his future. But Paul's journey completely changes when he becomes friends with a black kid from a lower class-family named Johnny Davis (portrayed by Jaylin Webb). This leads to them getting into trouble and Paul realizing the consequences that his actions have.

Like James Gray's previous films including Ad Astra (2019) and The Lost City of Z (2016), their calm and soothing pace is once again replicated here. By taking its time to reveal more layers from the story and characters, it ends up being a more rewarding experience as the film progresses. From the beginning, it's very easy to comprehend what the dynamic is between Paul's family even if it may come off as feeling one-sided. But the characters start feeling more well-defined as they deal with different situations and they're forced to react in different ways that adds to their profundity.

Most notably is Jeremy Strong as Irving Graff who arguably gives the most genuine and meaningful performance of the entire film. When first established, he seems like the abusive and ignorant father who just wants his own ideal version of what his son should be doing. But after all the situations that Paul gets himself into, Irving has to show his more grounded and sensitive side in order to fully engage his son. This is the most notable when getting to a scene between the two in a car during the night that will be hard to forget about based on how much emotional weight in carries. Hathaway and Hopkins certainly add charm and heart whenever they're shown on screen. But their characters aren't given as much to do that makes them have a commanding presence like Strong does.

The authentic and down-to-earth manner that Gray shows Queens and the characters in it makes it clear that there's pure passion from him when making the film. Therefore, it's very easy to connect with and understand what Paul is going through based on how much of it is reflected from Gray's childhood. The entire film being from his perspective where Paul neglects how his actions in the present would affect his future also adds to Gray's intent on wanting to connect with the boy despite his intolerant attitude. Nothing ends up feeling corny or stale since Gray doesn't shy away from showcasing the darker aspects to his life in a grounded manner that include domestic abuse and the truth about chasing the American Dream.

In terms of its technical aspects, there's nothing that extravagant or obscure about the way it's shot or edited. But Armageddon Time's pragmatic way of revealing its story would end up taking away from the experience if it was presented in that format. The film isn't breaking any new ground which is apparent from its straightforward way of telling its story. But it certainly succeeds when it comes to caring for Paul to make the right choices while cleverly making statements about what a capitalist society turns people into. It's another tremendous James Gray film that continues to prove his successful range as a filmmaker while making something deeply personal.

Verdict

8/10

Still Courtesy - Focus Features