Grey's heavily fictionalized reflections on his own youth growing up at the dawn of the Reagan era in New York is far bleaker than I thought it would be. It is a rather stunning indictment of the time and the helplessness that came along with it for anyone who could recognize injustice and the rising tide of making-sure-I-get-mine selfishness that blossomed into the 80s. It's rather brave in how much blame it shoulders as it paints a portrait of marginalized people doing what they need to to survive while watching even more marginalized people take even worse blows. The film's title is prophetic and one doesn't leave Armageddon Time feeling Gray has looked back on his youth with rose coloured glasses.
That being said sometimes Armageddon Time feels overly heavy handed. It lurches a bit between touching moments and upsetting ones in a way that doesn't quite all feel coherent. I appreciated very much how it showed us the warts-and-all story and recognized that loving people can also be abusive as well. But I never felt Gray found a way to tie it all together well. He attempts to paint a picture of complex people being both "good" and "bad" but sometimes he struggles to connect it all organically.
Still both his narratives of a loving family and a dysfunctional one are moving. Young actor Repeta does a good job of carrying this movie with all the great actors around him. His scenes with Hopkins are lovely and inspiring. While not a perfect film, it does offer some very interesting reflections on the dawning of an America that was very difficult for many people and perhaps some insight into how we got there.
Armageddon Time
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, Banks Repeta, Jaylin Webb, Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Chastain
Writer/Director: James Gray
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