I watched this, my first James Gray movie (writer, director), in the sneak preview. By the German titles, and also by looking up the English title, I didn't expect a coming of age story. I only realized it by almost half of the movie - at which point I permanently expected a time jump into adult years - probably caused by the several references about the future of Paul Graff. These circumstances had the effect that I never could set up my audience expectation properly. Maybe the aversion was deliberate - and it's understandable - but there were too many foreshadowing elements for my taste to do this; the disappointment effect of these missing scenes were stronger than the message intended.
Most moviegoers have difficulties with the thin plots and meandering in coming-of-age stories. As a Linklater fan, I'm always curious if there is some competition for him. And the emotions in the scenes are very strong with great performances by Banks Repeta, Jeremy Strong, Anthony Hopkins and Jaylin Webb. For some, there will be heavy scenes that bring you back to your childhood. The period setting is also immersive - but not heavily focused on it, with occasional references that add only little to the story - but still the production design and the visuals/cinematography are a strength of the movie and helps travelling back in time.

All in all, the movie has strong emotional moments and performances but one somehow expects more from the plot.

I have a particular fondness for coming-of-age films. That's why "Armageddon Time" should have been right up my alley. Unfortunately, the main character, Paul, is a really annoying brat. That's certainly part of the story, but it also kept me from rooting for the boy. Banks Repeta is also unlikely to win any child actor awards.

Nonetheless, there's plenty to like about this drama. Director James Gray succeeds in capturing the New York City of the 1980s. Furthermore, there are some intense scenes that are downright unsettling. Things always become quite entertaining when the entire family gathers around the table, too. The plot is adequate, but nothing to write home about. The interplay between the characters is usually quite enjoyable.

Of the actors, Anthony Hopkins in particular delivers another great performance as Paul's grandfather. However, it is unlikely to be enough for another Oscar. His performance in "The Father" was more substantial. Furthermore, his character's story arc is a little too predictable here. Of the other actors, Jeremy Strong is particularly convincing as a father with an inferiority complex. His character appears menacing at times and then awkward again. Anne Hathaway, on the other hand, fails to make a splash as Paul's mother. In her few scenes, she was unable to leave a lasting impression.

Overall, I'd describe "Armageddon Time" as a well-acted, well-filmed, but somewhat tedious drama.

I wanted to like this, but somehow it... never quite seems to get going. A few things happen, and then just like that it's already over. One would think, [spoiler]considering what a central figure he is, the grandpa's death[/spoiler] is some sort of key turning point, yet it manages to feel utterly weightless. Similarly, [spoiler]the separation of the two friends[/spoiler] isn't as dramatic as it ought to be either, perhaps because [spoiler]their relationship is never built up quite that well in the first place, nor do we really get a sense of where things would go[/spoiler]. While it does get portrayed on several occasions, there isn't that much actual sense of "inequality and prejudice" either, which ends up being simply frustrating. My feeling is it's because many of the surrounding elements are also either weightless themselves, or just unrealistic and nonsensical.

Coming of age stories shouldn't necessarily be lukewarm and bad - all they need is a point to make at the end, or an actual story to tell. Here, I was missing both. There is some nice atmosphere, where we might indeed feel like we're taken back in time, to some degree at least, but it's just not enough. For something with armageddon in its title, I expected an impact: for better or worse, the end of the world seems to have been cancelled, this time.

After his strong effort in "The Black Phone" from earlier this year, Banks Repeta delivers another in this curious tale of a young boy ("Paul"), of Jewish antecedence, who must juggle the ambitions of his family to survive and thrive whilst adapting to a multi-racial community. His best (and possibly only) friend at school, "Johnny" (Jaylin Webb), is a bit of a mischief maker with whom his folks would rather he spent less time. His grandfather "Aaron" (Sir Anthony Hopkins) has a close bond with the young lad, and tries to encourage him to be fair and decent in an environment where that is not necessarily easy. There are multiple themes at work here. On the face of it, it is two children just trying to fit in - one from a more stable and prosperous background. There are also discriminatory overtones here too, delivered the more poignantly because they are not straightforward race-based themes, but ones of tolerance, aspiration and affection as can only really be seen effectively through the innocence of childhood; a childhood as yet untainted by an ingrained bigotry that even the most decent about him cannot claim to be immune from. Sir Anthony features sparingly, and his character is potent at serving as a conduit for the young "Paul" to try to make the right choices, however difficult and confusing. Webb also turns in a solid performance and offers us quite a contrast to the loved and cared for "Paul" as their friendship progresses towards a not altogether surprising conclusion. Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong are adequate as the parents, themselves striving to ensure that their two children attain a better life than they managed for themselves, and James Gray uses the New York environment well to give us an indication of the iniquities of their childhoods. It sort of peters out a bit, though, and somehow I felt that the ending rendered much of the film moot. Did "Paul" actually make any progress? See what you think. It's slow at times and is a bit on the lengthy side, but certainly worth a look.