ARMAGEDDON TIME

US, 2022, 115 minutes, Colour.

Banks Repeta, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, Jaylin Webb, Ryan Sell, Andrew Polk, Tovah Feldshuh, John Diehl, Jessica Chastain.

Directed by James Gray.

No, not an apocalyptic science fiction adventure. Rather, it is a New York family drama. Near the opening, there is a clip of Ronald Reagan being interviewed for television, commenting on the world and dangers and suggesting that the era might be Armageddon. There is another clip at the end of the film with the Graf family upset when Ronald Reagan is elected president.

This is the family drama of three generations of the Grafs. The principal focus is on the younger generation, particularly Paul, beginning secondary school at the local public school whereas his older brother, Ted, is at an upmarket college. At first glance, Paul looks rather angelic. However, we see him drawing a caricature of the (rather obnoxious) schoolteacher, then seeing that he has a mischievous streak, mocking the teacher, supporting the black student, Johnny (a very effective Jailin Web), target of snide prejudice, repeating the year. His family think that Paul is rather slow, his mother, keen on education and preparing to run for local office (Anne Hathaway), his father a mixture of both genial support and strap-hitting discipline (Jeremy Strong), bewildered as Paul has emotional tantrums, forthright disobedience, clashes with his snooty brother.

But, hope is always possible. And this is in the form of Paul’s grandfather, another wonderful performance by Anthony Hopkins. His grandfather has a soft spot for Paul, encouraging him in his art, always with wise advice, not afraid of challenging his grandson, encouragement rather than angry discipline. And Hopkins has some fine monologues, reminiscing about his mother in Ukraine, the Cossacks and killings, her young age, escaping through the continent, marrying in Liverpool, coming to America and determined to succeed. It is a plaintive speech about the Jewish migrants of the early 20^th century.

Fortunately for Paul, and the trouble that he gets into, his grandfather is there always is support – and challenge.

The young actor, Banks Pereto, gives a very nuanced performance, irritating the audience at first as Well Is annoying his parents, puzzling about his mischievous behaviour, and his daydreams of becoming successful artist, his befriending of Johnny and inviting him to his cubby house, his being forced to leave school and friends and go to his brother’s snobby (and racist) school, the audience becoming more and more understanding and sympathetic towards him, even, perhaps, conniving with his plan to steal a computer from school and he and Johnny run away to a successful future, He Is an artist, Johnny working for NASA, in Florida.

As we watch the film, it seems very much a memoir, Paul writing his story 40 years on. And, in fact, Paul’s life and ambitions parallel those of the writer-director, James Gray (a celebrated director with such films as little Odessa, The Immigrants, Ad Astra). Which means then that despite Paul’s difficulties in 1980, he does have a happy and successful future ahead of him.

And that is Jessica Chastain in a cameo, the ambitious speech to the students, as Donald Trump’s sister, Maryanne.

This is a very well-made film, always interesting, moments of challenge, a look back at New York society and American society in 1980, the Reagan era, financial leadership, the decade of Wall Street. While the family is Jewish, there is nothing particularly religious about the atmosphere, except the grandfather’s funeral.  Worth seeing.

1. The title and expectations? Armageddon and final times? Song by the Clash? Pessimistic? The clip with Ronald Reagan, his comment about Armageddon times? The US, 1980, the prelude to the 1980s and the Reagan administration? The final clip, his election, the family critical of his election?
2. The 1980s setting, atmosphere, costumes and decor, cars…? The US political Background, after the Carter years, anticipation of the Reagan years? American society, prosperity, aiming for success, finance, the importance of money? (The decade of Wall Street and “greed is good”?)
3. The New York setting, the various neighbourhoods, home and interiors, the schools, public and private, the visit to the Guggenheim and the Kandinsky Art? The streets and buildings? The musical score?
4. Paul and his story (seeming an autobiography in retrospect and the connection with the life of James Gray)? His age, at school, the class, the dominating teacher and his rebukes, the joint in the toilet, Paul and the sketch, intention to ridicule, the friendship with Johnny, the reprimands, discipline and their mocking the teacher? The audience response to Paul initially, irritation? Paul at home, his parents, his older brother, at the private school, his brother and their clashes? The situation with the meal, the spaghetti, his mother cooking, his wanting Chinese, the tantrum at the table, going to the phone to place the order, harsh with his mother? The response of his father? An indication of his temperament and behaviour?
5. The introduction of the grandfather, his age, experience, his serious telling the story of his mother, the Ukraine, the killings, her moving through the continent, marrying in Liverpool, coming to the US, the spaghetti at Ellis Island, “bloody worms”? Her determination, prosperity, his inheritance, his growing up, success, his wife, her teaching at school, his pride in his daughter? His pride in Paul, their having conversations, his challenging him, supporting him on his art, the pencil kit? Continued advice, the happy scene with the rocket in the park?
6. The family meals, arguments, criticism, the touch of the racist against African-Americans, some Jewish exclusivism? The aiming for prosperity, the father urging De Bono’s book on success? The continual references to money and success?
7. The mother, her marrying her husband, his later comments about the family looking down on him because of trade, pride in her family, the PTA, intending to run for the local education board? Reactions to Paul? The father, trade, seeing him at work, his comic touches, his serious touches, discipline, severity with Paul, the belt and hitting him? The other relatives, and the meal discussions about where Paul should go to school, against the public school, for the private school?
8. Paul and his friendship with Johnny, Johnny and his story, living with his grandmother, held back to repeat the class, the butt of the teacher’s attacks? The visit to the Guggenheim, his being fascinated by Kandinsky, the souvenir postcard? Their leaving, going to play the games in the arcade, the bonding between the two? Johnny, his age, wanting to go to Florida, fascination with NASA? Paul and his decision that he wanted to be an artist? His basic drawings? The drawing of the rocket, confiscated, having to do the required assignment, yet finding the rocket picture in the school display case?
9. Paul, in difficulties, call to the principal, his mother’s reaction? Suspension? The decision to go to the private school, his brother, the uniform, the change of tone?
10. Johnny coming to the school fence, the boys and racial prejudice, Paul and his being influenced, the promise to go to the concert, his pulling out? Johnny coming to the house, officials looking for him, his staying in Paul’s cubby house that his father built?
11. The difficulties at school, the teachers, the art class, talking with the counsellor about running away? The difficulties at home, his father and discipline? The relatives? Yet talking with his grandfather, listening to him, the rocket sequence in the park, the bonding?
12. Maryanne Trump and her exhortative speech at the school?
13. The decision to run away, seeing the computers in the school, the suggestion to steal, packing, going to the school, the window, taking the computer, going to the pawn shop, the owner ringing the police, taking Johnny? Pursuing Paul? In the cell, the officer, his knowing Paul’s father, the job in the past, his letting Paul go? Paul not seeing Johnny again?
14. Paul’s return home, the talk with his father? And the talk with his grandfather?
15. His grandfather ill, the hospital sequence, his wanting to stay, the sequence at the graveside, his father talking with him, telling his son about the family snobbery about his trade?
16. The family together, watching the television, Reagan’s election, their unhappiness with this result? The beginning of Armageddon time in the 1980s?
17. Paul story stopping at the end of 1980 – but, considering James Gray’s success, happy endings in the future for Paul?