The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

Cannes Film Festival 2022

Armageddon Time

Cannes Film Festival 2022: Armageddon Time | Review
19 May 2022
Andrew Murray
Avatar
Andrew Murray
19 May 2022

Movie and show review

Andrew Murray

Armageddon Time

★★★★★

Special event

Cannes Film Festival 2022

16th to 28th May 2022

James Gray’s coming-of-age tale Armageddon Time is a familiar yet nonetheless riveting affair that examines family, classism, and prejudice through the lens of daydreaming youngster Paul (Michael Banks Repeta). His new friendship with Johnny (Jaylin Webb) causes friction within his family, who believe Paul would be better in a private school, away from Johnny’s influence. The kid’s only crutch to lean on is his loving grandfather (Anthony Hopkins), but as he struggles to understand where he fits in within everything that’s going on, the strain on Paul and his family only worsens.

Written with a wry comic flare, Gray’s script has uncontainable charm that will win viewers over within the first few minutes as Paul and Johnny’s attempts at clowning around in class aggravate the stern Mr Turkeltaub (Andrew Polk). However, sitting just behind the humour is an apt reflection of society as fitting today as its 1980 setting. As the children begin to acquaint themselves, it becomes apparent that they come from completely different backgrounds. Paul is lavished by gifts from his wealthy grandparents whereas Johnny talks of living with his grandmother who has dementia. It’s only when the boys’ escapades land Paul in serious trouble do his family, spurred on by their devotion to do the best for the boy, decide to send Paul to a prestigious private school.

Gray paints a telling picture of flawed futility, and even unobtainability, of the American Dream by showing the contrasts between public and private education, the boys’ backgrounds and even Paul’s grandparent’s success compared to that of his mother (Anne Hathaway) and father’s (Jeremy Strong),

Alongside Gray’s astute storytelling, acclaim likewise must be given to Hathaway and Hopkins for their sensational acting. Whenever the pair are onscreen, they bestow a whole new level of charm and personality to Paul’s story. Hopkins, especially, is the main source for this film’s heart, which leads to many tearjerking moments.

Although Armageddon Time doesn’t tread any new ground within the coming-of-age category, Gray’s comical critique of the American Dream and a spattering of delightful performances give this flick everything it needs to shine.

★★★★★

Andrew Murray

Armageddon Time does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Cannes Film Festival 2022 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Cannes Film Festival website here.

Related Itemscannes film festivalfilm festivalreview

More in Cannes

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.

★★★★★
Matthew McMillan
Read More

“I think I’m kind of a drug addict for image and sound coming together! I’m always putting images to sound and getting high”: An interview with Hlynur Pálmason, director of Godland

Selina Sondermann
Read More

Leyla’s Brothers: An interview with Saeed Roustayi

Selina Sondermann
Read More

Plan 75: An interview with director Chie Hayakawa

Selina Sondermann
Read More

Falcon Lake: An interview with director Charlotte Le Bon

Selina Sondermann
Read More

“How to make a genuine portrait of life”: An interview with the stars of Leila’s Brothers

Selina Sondermann
Read More

“It’s never as I planned it to be, but that’s the point. I like that”: An interview with Marie Kreutzer, director of Corsage

Selina Sondermann
Read More

Smoking Causes Coughing (Fumer Fait Tousser)

★★★★★
Selina Sondermann
Read More

The Woodcutter Story (Metsurin Tarina)

★★★★★
Selina Sondermann
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Movie and show review

Andrew Murray

Armageddon Time

★★★★★

Special event

Cannes Film Festival 2022

16th to 28th May 2022

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Netflix Walking Tour: From Bridgerton to The Crown, a free walking tour through the filming locations
    Cinema & Tv
  • The Railway Children Return
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • “We really wanted to create a cabbage gun”: An interview with David Earl and Chris Hayward stars of Brian and Charles
    Cinema & Tv
  • Paolo Nutini – Last Night in the Bittersweet
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Viagra Boys – Cave World
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Ithaka
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Wayfinder
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Paolo Nutini – Last Night in the Bittersweet
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Viagra Boys – Cave World
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Railway Children Return
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Adele lights up Hyde Park for BST Festival
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Cannes Film Festival 2022: Top Gun: Maverick | Review
Cannes Film Festival 2022: Father and Soldier (Tirailleurs) | Review