Armageddon Time -
This refreshingly non-nostalgic coming of age tale reminds us that all Americans may be created equally, but some are more equal than others. In Paul (Repeta), the Jewish aspiring artist who is essentially the young writer/director James Gray, we get a painfully accurate portrait of what it's like when too few authority figures and peers believe in or relate to you. By the same token, the sensation of relief the movie captures when someone like this finds others on their side could not be more authentic. In Anthony Hopkins' grandfather, Aaron, we get the kind of encouragement and advice we all wish we received whether or not we were in Paul's shoes, which wisely favors truth over sentimentality. Speaking of, with a last name like Graff, which Aaron changed from Rabinowitz at Ellis Island (director Gray's actual last name is also Russian Jewish, by the way) - Paul can hide his ethnicity, shame notwithstanding. The same cannot be said of Paul's friend Jonathan (Webb), the lone black kid in his class whose similar lack of support in his dream of going to space also makes him feel hopeless. The friends' attempts to stick it to their oppressors and eke some fun out of their situations are enjoyable for how they mirror Gray's experiences and for how they reference the classic movies that inspired him. There is more than one loving nod to a certain Truffaut movie you are probably thinking about now, for instance. This also means that the moment when dividing lines appear between the friends once Paul switches to a private and even more conformist school define heartbreak. James Gray is a favorite director of mine because his movies seem like analog ones in a digital world, which is also the case here even though it's the first movie he filmed with digital cameras. Shooting in the Queens of his youth helps, as does the strong period accuracy and "lived in" quality of Paul's house and his schools. There's also the A-list talent, which besides the reliable Hopkins features Anne Hathaway's standout work as Paul's concerned mother.
This movie successfully proves that having a generally reviled background and unpopular ambitions might make one an object of derision, but the oppressors have little power against encouragement and a helping hand. It also proves that not everyone is fortunate to have such advantages, sadly. It ends up being a movie that demonstrates why Grey is one of our best active filmmakers and that some things from the '80s are not worth being nostalgic over, especially since we’re still learning how to cope with them today. Speaking of, and hopefully not to spoil it too much, but wait until you discover the benefactors of Paul's new school.
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