REVIEW: Inverness Film Festival: Armageddon Time (12A)

4 stars

The instinctive unconditional love of a grandfather and his grandson is at the core of this Reagan-era family drama from American director James ‘Ad Astra’ Gray.

Set in New York’s Queen's where the extended Jewish Graff family indulge their younger son Paul (Michael Banks Repeta), the story follows some turbulent schooldays as he gets in trouble, finds a friend – and ultimately – himself, learning painful lessons about what he wants out of life.

Along the way there is a glimpse of the Trump family and their ambitions which acts like a chilling premonition.

But on a mission to raise Paul to be happy – and ‘a mensch’ – Anthony Hopkins as Grandpa Aaron Rabinowitz doesn’t miss a flicker of worry or a hesitation from his beloved grandson who jokes and sketches the world around him.

“I think I want to be an artist one day!” he announces to the family, a plan ambitious underachieving mother Esther (Anne Hathaway) dismisses gently. But Grandpa buys him professional paints for his own birthday, preferring to give a gift to the boy, leaving him with a catchphrase to live by 'Never give in, Jellybean'.

The immigrant’s experience of making their own American Dream is backgrounded by Grandpa’s frank stories about the cruelty some of Paul’s Jewish family left behind in Ukraine to come to America – via Liverpool.

But we are reminded how rife casual racism still is in this late 70s world, mercilessly witnessed by Gray as we see how Paul’s smart black friend Johnny (Jaylin Webb) is betrayed – not least by Paul’s own cowardice.

Jeremy Strong’s both sensitive and scary portrayal of Paul’s father, plumber Irving – his furious physical attack on his son a shocking reminder of old-fashioned parenting from another era – is another standout performance in the movie.

With its mix of Paul’s fantasies of becoming a famous artist, nightmare images of the cruelty to his Jewish family and a visit from beyond the grave, Gray’s not limited by trying to recreate faithfully this world from his personal past.

QUOTE:

Paul: You just want me to be like you.

Dad: I want you to be a whole lot better than me.

Armageddon Time (12A) returns to Eden Court Cinema from December 2-8.

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