James Gray’s Armageddon Time: Cannes Review
The feeling of being on the cusp consumed much of the late 20th century. In the United States, the constant threat of nuclear war and the Reagan administration, it would have been impossible to feel that some existential implosion was not on the precipice. But James Gray’s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age film, Armageddon Time, gives us an intimate insight into one family’s interactions with social forces beyond their control. Paul Graff (Banks Repeta) is navigating his life at school in Queens, where for the first time, he must contend with racism, elitism, and the tragic past of his family.
Paul’s public school in Queens doesn’t see his enthusiasm or potential for art. He constantly butts heads with his polished older brother, Teddy (Ryan Sell). In a world that doesn’t seem to understand his childlike tumult, he has two real friends: Johnny (Jaylin Webb) and his grandfather, Aaron (Anthony Hopkins). But as his social background dramatically shifts overnight when he must join his brother at an elite private school, the injustices of the world- and even his own family- are quickly made apparent to him.
First and foremost, the family dynamic between Banks Repeta, Anne Hathaway, and Jeremy Strong was captured masterfully. Complemented by the set design of Happy Massee with muted patterned wallpaper and garish lightshades, there was a grounded, authentic feel to scenes at the family house. Holding back none of the motherly outbursts nor the physical abuse that would have been characterised as fatherly firmness in the late 1970s, the highs and the lows of family life naturally flow between dining table conversation and meetings at the principal’s office. Jeremy Strong’s performance as Paul’s father, Irving, shone through in particular; the classic emotionless father gave us the tools to understand exactly where his high expectations from his sons comes from.
It is through Paul’s family that we see the unshakeable obsession with the American dream no matter what. The Graffs insist that you can work your way to dignity, to recognition, and to respect, which is why they put so much pressure on the next generation to work hard and work for ‘proper jobs’ that bring in money. Reflecting the harsh reality, this obsession ignores the societal hierarchies that preserve power for the select few, and strip many of their dignity, as we see in Paul’s friendship with Johnny.
Johnny and Paul are both rebellious boys who kick back against their school’s disdain for them. However, their objection to school and authority are not two sides of the same coin. Johnny is scolded, excluded, and humiliated in front of his classmates regardless of whether he is misbehaving or not with a strong air of racism to the teacher’s dismissal of him. Johnny is also left to fend for himself as his sick grandmother cannot take care of him. While Paul pushes back against the dismissal of his creative aspirations, he is somewhat aware of his power and how to use it. He already knows to scapegoat Johnny, the ‘naughty kid’ and leverage the (albeit exaggerated) power of his mother as Chair of the PTA in his favour.
The film juggles several different moods. Between rushes of artistic inspiration, cosy bonding sessions with his grandfather, and petrified bathroom hidings from his father, Gray walks the line admirably to achieve a nuanced piece that reaches beyond family drama. The conflicts that arise within the family are rooted in the same pain that continues to affect Johnny.
It is here that Hopkins establishes an essential role to the film despite his modest presence on screen. As the grandfather, Hopkins effortlessly glides between Paul’s saving grace and his reality check. He drops the bomb on Paul that life in unfair and that there is discrimination and prejudice in American society, revealing the persecution his Ukrainian Jewish mother fled from, only to face anti-Semitic hostility on her arrival in the US. It is Aaron Graff that highlights the path through Hell that the family has gone through to earn their place in Middle America, including changing their surnames to sound less Jewish.
Aaron Graff served almost as a Jiminy Cricket figure in Paul’s life when pangs of conscience would appear amid overt racism and injustice with the police. However, the complexities of the individual and societal forces are not lost on Gray, as the competitive nature of American dream ideals cannot stop to fight for other marginalised groups once the Graffs escape from the extreme stigma of the past. As admirable as the industrious efforts of the family are, it is frustrating to watch them leave the most vulnerable character behind.
Coming of age is about the world opening up to an innocent mind. Leaving childhood is to realise that some things are bigger than ourselves. Most of all, as Paul learns, growing up is witnessing injustice and seeing the powerlessness of your family for the first time. Gray set out to create a coming-of-age film and he’s hit the nail on the head, capturing the realisation of societal power dynamics beyond any individual’s control, With moments both shocking and endearing, Armageddon Time certainly earned its place at the festival.
