A24’s “We Live in Time” chronicles the love story between Tobias (Andrew Garfield), a recent divorcee, and Almut (Florence Pugh), an aspiring chef, through time, hardship and terminal illness. Told with a nonlinear storyline, director John Crowley gives us glimpses of their memories and asks a question: “What do you do when you know you’re going to lose someone?”
It’s hard to pinpoint a single theme or message from this film, but I’ll single out the most obvious ones to me. The theme of grief is reoccurring, and so is grappling with the reality of illness. But along with that theme comes a myriad of other ones — like whether we should pursue love or dreams, or if we as humans take the present for granted. One of my personal favorite quotes is from Tobias, where he says: “I’m guilty of looking ahead, instead of right in front of me — at you.”
Pugh and Garfield show their individual strengths as actors, but they also have an incredible chemistry that can bring you to tears. Both actors contributed so much to the film, with Garfield’s acting standing out to me the most. He brings so much emotion to scenes with just his eyes alone.
While I think the acting was amazing, I was disappointed with the writing. It’s not necessarily bad, but it does feel underwhelming. The use of the nonlinear storyline leaves gaps in the couple’s history, making it feel incomplete. There wasn’t enough development for me to personally get attached to the story or the characters. It felt more like a succession of short stories rather than a complete chapter book; each scene on its own was emotionally impactful, yet strung together it left me wanting more. Honestly, watching the trailer gives you the entire movie.
I wanted to love this film, but unfortunately, I can only say I enjoyed it. I think the concept was promising, but the delivery was subpar. Overall, the film gets a 3.5-star rating out of five from me. An enjoyable watch, just not the execution I wanted. “We Live in Time” is currently playing in theatres until Nov. 5. Go check it out!
