Heartwarming and bittersweet at times, We Live In Time feels unfortunately a little too curated as it tells the story of two people trying to savor all the moments they have in this fleeting life.
We Live In Time Review
The concept of making the most of your time on earth is not a new one. It’s a sentiment that is echoed in films, tv shows, books, and day to day life. We Live In Time aims to walk us through that concept in a way that feels grounded and sincere while also invoking a strong emotional response. With the star power of Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield you would think it would succeed on all fronts. Yet despite their strong chemistry and the sheer cuteness of their meet cute, the film failed to move this journalist’s heart. Every emotional beat felt contrived and undermined the work the actors were putting in on the screen. So while it was heartwarming and bittersweet at times, the story as a whole feels too curated to hit home.
We Live In Time follows the lives of Almut (Pugh) and Tobias (Garfield), focusing on different stages in their relationship. Recently divorced, Tobias meets Almut after she hits him with her car. It sounds like the perfect meet cute. She’s a Michelin-starred chef. He’s a mid-level Weetabix employee whose career is not relevant to the plot. But that's not where the film begins. In fact it bounces from one moment to the next –dating, pregnancy, cancer treatment, and having a child– all while driving home the point that Almut's illness is not going to leave them with a happy ending. Knowing how it will end can make you hesitant to want to get involved with them but Pugh and Garfield are magnetic, so you really have no choice. For a film about making the most of time, it's ironic that it suffers from not allowing its characters time to just be.
One of the main complaints I see about TV shows now, especially ones that are exclusive to streaming, is that every episode feels important. That's how We Live In Time feels, except in movie form. Everything is presented in a way to drive home the point that these two people, who seem so perfect for each other, are doomed to only have a short time together. But one of the most beautiful things about spending time with someone you care for is that sometimes you're “wasting time.” Not everything has to be so intentional, sometimes maybe all you want to do is wander around Target or watch a movie on the couch with your special person. But when it comes to Tobias and Almut, director John Crowley working from Nick Payne's script makes every time we see them together feel important. Every conversation and moment with them is telling you how to feel and when to feel it. Cry here. Smile here. Laugh but also tear up here. They are rarely allowed to just live in the moment or even be at ease, which is stressful for them and those of us watching.
The shining light of this film and what salvages it if you are willing to look past the emotional manipulation are Pugh and Garfield's performances. The two click right away, lighting up the screen with a fiery passion whenever they kiss or screw around in bed. This is one of the rare films where the sex almost has a point, like when Almut grabs Tobias for one last night of passion before chemo robs them of that. However, it's also there to point a finger and say see this is important and how sad will it be when they can't love each other in this way? But I digress. Their love story is one of the strongest I've seen this year, in spite of the sterile landscape it's presented in. Pugh and Garfield get you invested in these two– and if you're a little less defiant of being told what to feel than I am– they may make you want to laugh and cry with them
Almut and Tobias are perfect foils to one another and Pugh and Garfield understood that assignment (as well as the casting director who needs a raise). Pugh is adept at being passionate, driven, and bold. While Garfield practically has the market cornered on being a gentle, caring, and tenderhearted soul. Their connection is strong, right from the start and remains that way through all the big moments of the film (which is practically every single scene). The only reason it works is due to the power of Pugh and Garfield's chemistry.
It's not all doom and gloom, even if the very real shadow of Almut's illness hangs around the entire runtime. We Live In A Time throws in much needed levity throughout, weaving in lighthearted moments into the melancholy. I found myself smiling and laughing at Pugh's delightful dry wit and Garfield's adorable facial expressions. The funniest bit though came with Almut when set to give birth to their daughter. It was a hilarious, almost out of place tonally, childbirth scene that felt right out of a 90s rom-com.
Verdict
Ultimately, We Live In Time has its moments but buckles beneath the pressure of demanding its audience to be moved. Despite the contrived nature of the story structure, Pugh and Garfield shine, with a dynamic chemistry that makes you fall for these two. You can feel the mutual love and desire between the characters to enjoy what life has to offer them before it's too late. I truly believe if more room had been given to let their relationship breathe and the bouncing around their timeline was a little less jarring, the emotional impact would have been greater.
We Live in Time had its premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. It comes to US theaters October 11. The film is rated R for language, sexuality, and nudity with a runtime of 107 minutes.
Leave a Reply