New York City is essential to the films of James Gray, where the outer boroughs provide a home for his various downtrodden characters. His last two films – The Lost City of Z and Ad Astra – were the first to travel outside of NYC. City of Z scaled the Amazon rainforests, while Ad Astra explored the endless nothing of outer space. There was nowhere further to go, which may be why his latest film, Armageddon Time, returns to The Big Apple, specifically Queens in 1980. The Graff family lives a comfortable, middle class life. The country is on the verge of having Ronald Reagan as the next president. The very thought of that brings gloom inside the Graff household; Reagan’s folksy meanderings frequently mocked as staunch, right-wing philosophizing. He’s a war monger, they say, and a racist; all things the Graffs claim to stand against. The events throughout Armageddon Time paint a much more complicated portrait.

Paul Graff (Banks Repeta) is the youngest son of Irving (Jeremy Strong) and Esther (Anne Hathaway). He’s starting the sixth grade at the local public school. For disciplinary reasons, his older brother, Ted (Ryan Sell) goes to a private school that requires a suit and tie and is renowned for its stern authoritarianism. Paul appears to be heading in a similar direction. In class, his mind wanders, preferring to sketch in his notebook than listen to anything the teacher has to say. When confronted, he’s shy but defiant, unwilling to give authority figures any power over him. It’s similar at home, where the affectionate but overstretched Esther is driven crazy by the impudence of her two sons. On the other side of the spectrum, the usually nebbish, diminutive Irving doles out punishment in explosions of temper and violence. Esther doesn’t fully approve of Irving’s way, but is occasionally left with no choice but to unleash him on her boys.

Paul’s closest relationship is with his grandfather, Aaron (a tremendous Anthony Hopkins), the family patriarch keen on creating reasons to give Paul presents (he even gets him a gift on his own birthday). Aaron has Paul’s full respect, and Aaron takes that responsibility very seriously, taking time to remind his grandson about their place in society as Jews, and how that place is formed by their persecution throughout history. Aaron does not pose the Jewish people as victims, but he’s frank, telling Paul the story of his emigration from Europe and the cultural violence that preceded it. At school, Paul finally makes a friend in Johnny (Jaylen Webb), a troublemaker who’s been held back a grade and is one of the few Black kids in Paul’s school. Still in the early days of integration, there is some consternation at the thought of Black kids going to school with whites (including some coming from within Paul’s family), but Paul appreciates Johnny’s rebellious spirit, and the feeling is mutual.

Armageddon Time is a film riddled with multiple themes and complex human emotions. The Graffs espouse liberal world views but in the end, they’re willing to sacrifice those values to keep the status quo. Their own recent history with persecution does not preclude them from their own prejudices, nor does it void their privilege. As Johnny and Paul begin getting into trouble, Esther and Irving make the decision to move Paul into the same private school as Ted. So, while brazenly denouncing Reagan from the comforts of their couch, the Graffs send their son to an institution that openly supports Reagan’s election, and even has assemblies where members of the Trump family spout explicitly conservative talking point to young children (Jessica Chastain appears in a single scene as a severe Maryanne Trump decrying the proclivity of government handouts). The contradiction is glaring, and the central tragedy of Armageddon Time is how the adults meant to help Paul ultimately corrupt him with fear of disrupting social order.

This was a very moving film at times. The performances, especially from Hopkins, Strong, and Hathaway, are heartbreaking portrayals of a family making difficult decisions and not always making the correct choice. Hopkins is given several showcase monologues, including a moment near the end where he expresses to Paul, without equivocation, that racism specifically against Johnny and other Black kids is unacceptable. In a movie where the dynamics between the white Paul and the Black Johnny are expressed with increased nuance, the clarity that Aaron speaks with in this scene is quite welcome. Irving is a quintessential Jeremy Strong performance, and one that takes full advantage of his ability to be monstrous in one moment and pitiful in the next. As Esther, Hathaway plays someone overcome first by the stresses of parenthood and then later by the stranglehold of grief. She is moved toward empathy but has neither the time nor the capacity to execute it. That neither Strong or Hathaway request sympathy in their performances is to the film’s benefit, and adds to Armageddon Time‘s rich humanism.

There’s been mention about this film being a loose sketch of James Gray’s own childhood, and Armageddon Time is tinged with the kind of familial detail that creates an endearing authenticity. The Graffs are displayed in their full complexity, a complete portrait of imperfection. If Armageddon Time fails at anything, it is that it doesn’t afford that same complexity to Johnny and his own plight as a Black kid being intentionally failed by the American system. The parallel between the struggles of Blacks and Jews – the observation that having white skin will always be the ultimate advantage – is well-meaning, and Jaylen Webb’s performance is strong, but Johnny is seldom much more than a plot point in Paul’s arc of discovery. A scene at the end meant to show nobility in the face of injustice might be enough to send you into a rage. Like the characters at its center, Armageddon Time is an imperfect film trying to tackle a complicated subject. In many ways it is quite effective, but in others you may feel very disappointed in the decisions that are made.

 

Written and Directed by James Gray