Given that the trailer for We Live in Time very much informs audiences that it will be a tale of potential emotional manipulation, with the Nick Payne-penned script basing itself around a family dealing with late-stage cancer, it proves worth the screentime as Brooklyn director John Crowley breathes a certain life into proceedings, aware that he doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel, but purely let his two A-list talents at its helm do what they do best and sell the story off their undeniable chemistry.
Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are said A-listers, and whilst both have flexed their charm across the majority of their previous works, they’re operating on another level of captivation here, with We Live in Time, already a warm, inviting film, benefitting further from their combined charisma; Pugh, in particular, is stunning here as Almut, a woman who refuses to define herself as a mother or wife – a mentality that Garfield’s Tobias near-immediately threatens with his heart-on-a-sleeve temperament.
Payne’s script presents their love story in a non-linear fashion. By the time (on-screen) that Almut and Tobias meet – he’s on the verge of divorce when she accidentally hits him with her car late at night – we are aware they have a (mostly) blissful union. We cut between their energetic sex life and a complicated pregnancy. From Almut expressing she doesn’t necessarily want kids, to her cancer diagnosis that she refuses to let define the last months of their life together. Crowley manages to imbue the film in a way that never feels as if its narrative structure is a gimmick or confusing, and Payne’s script often moves beyond being merely tragic for the sake of it, with the desire to be remembered as more than just a parent or partner one of its strongest throughlines; Almut, a professional chef, expresses such from a professional perspective, wanting to be more than just a mother. It’s quite an effective additive, especially from the view of a woman, and Pugh sells this entirely.
Though the story itself may not be the most original, We Live in Time is no less a supremely enjoyable watch. It’s much funnier than I feel audiences will be expecting, and regardless of any narrative familiarity, watching two assured performers like Pugh and Garfield dominate the screen with their naturality across both dramatic and comedic flair is a difficult feat to top. There’s a real respect on display here between the creatives behind the camera and those in front of it, with the film honing an almost insular-like mentality. Almut and Tobias, whilst surrounded by so many loved ones throughout, are always the script’s focus, and in lesser hands this could come across as selfish, but the honoured breathing room only draws us further into the world these two have built together.
A beautiful reminder of the simplicity of storytelling and the power of raw, inviting talent, We Live in Time knows exactly what it’s doing as it hits every emotional beat. It’s a charming romantic affair that delights in its throwback-like temperament, as it sells us entirely on the movie star charm we’re more than willing to buy in spades.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
We Live in Time is screening as part of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, running between September 5th and 15th, 2024. For more information about the festival, head to the official site here.
We Live in Time is screening in Australian theatres from January 23rd, 2025.
