Race, privilege and class take a front seat in James Gray's Armageddon Time that boldly attempts to serve as a coming-of-age story, but with unsatisfying results — mostly because of how it sidelines a Black character to point out the monstrosity of whiteness.
Gray's semi-autobiographical film follows 11-year-old Paul Graff (Banks Repeta), who knows he's entitled and privileged, as does his family, as he grows up in 1980s Queens, NY. He lives with parents Esther (Anne Hathaway), a PTA mom running for school board, and Irving (Jeremy Strong), a home repairman with a temper. Paul has a special bond with his grandfather, Aaron (Anthony Hopkins).
When the film opens, we see Paul getting into trouble at his public school. When he interrupts the class by making them all laugh with a silly dance, his school teacher Mr. Turkeltaub (Andrew Polk) immediately blames Johnny (Jaylin Webb), the only Black kid in class, who was held back. Paul doesn't correct the teacher and lets Johnny take the fall.
Johnny is almost always used as a lesson about race and injustice without ever getting his own storyline. Casual racism is a key theme in the movie for Paul and his family, but it's never given more oxygen. The film doesn't justly serve Johnny; he's just a tool who, oftentimes, is just forgotten.
Throughout the film, we see Johnny being given the short end of the stick, with Paul witnessing this and choosing to look the other way. Paul continues to get into trouble — smoking weed with Johnny in the boy's washroom, for instance — and his parents can't get through to him. They believe the Black kid is a bad influence and causing him to use drugs, so they send him to a private school, where the benefactor is Fred Trump (John Diehl).
While the film is very much a complex case of class and colour, it's not well-developed, and is even problematic at times. If Johnny was given more depth and dimension, it would better serve the story and the themes of the film.
The film's strength lies in its performances. Repeta is a young actor who carries the weight of the film with gravitas; even acting next to Hopkins, he stands out. He can be both endearing and mischievous, playing with viewers' emotions like a pro.
Strong and Hathaway are both well cast, playing to their strengths as they deliver the roles seemingly written for them. Hopkins, perhaps the best actor of them all, plays to the warmth and kindness of Aaron, never missing a beat. His scene with young Repeta are perhaps the most endearing of all.
Armageddon Time is ambitious and nostalgic, attempting to dive into larger systemic issues but ultimately missing the mark.
(Focus)Gray's semi-autobiographical film follows 11-year-old Paul Graff (Banks Repeta), who knows he's entitled and privileged, as does his family, as he grows up in 1980s Queens, NY. He lives with parents Esther (Anne Hathaway), a PTA mom running for school board, and Irving (Jeremy Strong), a home repairman with a temper. Paul has a special bond with his grandfather, Aaron (Anthony Hopkins).
When the film opens, we see Paul getting into trouble at his public school. When he interrupts the class by making them all laugh with a silly dance, his school teacher Mr. Turkeltaub (Andrew Polk) immediately blames Johnny (Jaylin Webb), the only Black kid in class, who was held back. Paul doesn't correct the teacher and lets Johnny take the fall.
Johnny is almost always used as a lesson about race and injustice without ever getting his own storyline. Casual racism is a key theme in the movie for Paul and his family, but it's never given more oxygen. The film doesn't justly serve Johnny; he's just a tool who, oftentimes, is just forgotten.
Throughout the film, we see Johnny being given the short end of the stick, with Paul witnessing this and choosing to look the other way. Paul continues to get into trouble — smoking weed with Johnny in the boy's washroom, for instance — and his parents can't get through to him. They believe the Black kid is a bad influence and causing him to use drugs, so they send him to a private school, where the benefactor is Fred Trump (John Diehl).
While the film is very much a complex case of class and colour, it's not well-developed, and is even problematic at times. If Johnny was given more depth and dimension, it would better serve the story and the themes of the film.
The film's strength lies in its performances. Repeta is a young actor who carries the weight of the film with gravitas; even acting next to Hopkins, he stands out. He can be both endearing and mischievous, playing with viewers' emotions like a pro.
Strong and Hathaway are both well cast, playing to their strengths as they deliver the roles seemingly written for them. Hopkins, perhaps the best actor of them all, plays to the warmth and kindness of Aaron, never missing a beat. His scene with young Repeta are perhaps the most endearing of all.
Armageddon Time is ambitious and nostalgic, attempting to dive into larger systemic issues but ultimately missing the mark.
