As always, I checked this film's poster on the streaming site I use to see if there are familiar faces before deciding whether I'll watch it or not. Seeing Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins and Jeremy Strong on the poster, I believed I'll be in for a treat.
As I was halfway through the film, I wondered whether this was the 'treat' that I had hoped for. This is because this film is touching and unexpectedly focused on the issues of racism and antisemitism. It's almost two hours and I almost gave up watching because of the film's slow pace but I pushed through so that I could write a review worth reading.
Armageddon Time (2022) is a historical drama written, directed and produced by James Gray. I understand it's inspired by his childhood experiences. It is set in the 1980s and focuses on Paul Graff (played by Banks Repeta), a dreamy eleven-year-old sixth grader living in Queens, New York with his family. They comprise his easy-going but emotional mother, Esther Graff (played by Anne Hathaway), his father, Irving Graff (played by Jeremy Strong), his elder brother, his supportive grandfather, Aaron (played by Anthony Hopkins) and other family members.
Paul enjoys drawing and wants to be an artist but his father discourages him while his grandfather who seems to understand him encourages him to pursue his dream.
He struggles to fit in both at home and with other children in school but comes up short until he befriends a young black boy, Johnny Davis (played by Jaylin Webb). The two boys bond and become very close.
The disparity between the two friends is as clear as day —one is white and a Jew and the other is black. Society is against Johnny because of his skin colour but Paul stands up for him until a plan to travel to Florida gets them both into trouble. Will there be a way out for these youngsters?
Review
This film is a touching and bittersweet story of childhood innocence and interracial friendship rife with racism, antisemitism and societal injustices. Paul and Johnny's friendship and loyalty are one of the themes I like in this film. It is admirable and viewers are moved by how they navigate their harsh world together.
The cast is great and their performance is outstanding. I've never watched Banks Repeta in any film before so I take it this might be his first film but he did great. He sold that innocent and dreamy demeanour perfectly. Jaylin Webb was also great in his performance of a black-skinned boy wronged by his society.
Anne Hathaway and Anthony Hopkins were outstanding too. They conveyed the feeling of a kindhearted and down-to-earth parent and grandparent. Anthony Hopkins' character was a good influence on Paul, something I believe every child should have. Every child should have an ally and advisor to encourage them to become a person of integrity and character.
I did not appreciate the racism and antisemitism part of the film but it is our reality. Should we say such themes should not be covered in films? I believe they should be. No point in selling fairy tales to viewers; people should know the real world.
Johnny is a brave character in this film. In reality, he could have made some noise and not taken the fall for his white friend's mistake but he did. This is a rarity. I see this moving film as an apology to all the Johnnys who are forced to grow up and care for themselves at a young age. They are constantly mistreated and discriminated against by the people and societal structures that should have been supporting them.
The plot is good, and the acting is great but the cinematography not so much. Did I mention this film is slow-paced? I was almost discouraged from finishing it. Maybe it could have been shorter than the one hour, fifty-four minutes viewing time. Viewers who prefer action-packed flicks may not have the patience to see this film through to the end.
Overall, this is a fine historical film and I recommend the same to all cinephiles.
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Other images are screenshots from the movie