REVIEW: ‘We Live In Time’ Adds To The Time-Tested Formula

Directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Payne, We Live In Time follows a time-tested romance path. However, with a couple played by Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, it adds to the formula by centering wants as much as needs and individuality as much as family.

We Live In Time starts like all love stories do. Almut (Florence Pugh), a brash young chef who has just opened a restaurant, meets the anxious Tobias (Andrew Garfield), a guy who works for a cereal company. Only, well, she hits him with her car. Taking off from the almost deadly meet-cute, we watch Almut and Tobias’ love story through a non-linear series of events.

Through snapshots of their life together—falling for each other, building a home, becoming a family—we have learned to know who they are as individuals as much as a couple. Character is at the core of the film’s success. When the couple begins to try to outrun the clock, their love story’s unconventional route is shown in how they adjust to their new reality.

The film’s strength is its approach to non-linear storytelling. At one point, we see an argument that nearly ends their relationship, and then, in the next scene, we see the future where they’ve chosen a life together, directly confronting that old wound and healing it. This narrative ping-pong never feels overused, and once we settle into the present in the third act, the non-linear storytelling has built a strong foundation that is more effective than if we had progressed through their relationship linearly.

Payne’s story is deeply moving, driven home by the electric chemistry between Pugh and Garfield. As Almut and Tobias, their awkwardness and passion are equally on display. For her part, Almut makes no apologies, lives for herself, and abides by the path she wants to take. Her part in the love story is about adapting to another person, accepting another person, and ultimately thinking about someone else. Pugh is undeniably comedic and infinitely relatable as a woman who won’t be caged in but will make a new life with who she loves.

Alongside this is Tobias’ deep emotional passion, learning how to be direct, and learning that love is shown differently by others, and that’s okay. Garfield’s energy as a leading man is charismatic in his devout nature and endearing in his deep love. But when his awkwardness gives way to his passion, the audience understands exactly why he is a romance lead. Together, the performances are emotional, but alone, they are perfect.

From this point on, you will read a spoiler for the ending of We Live In Time. It’s necessary because it’s the part of the film that captures how it stands apart from the time-tested romance-drama formula.

Yes, We Live In Time has the same story beats we have seen before. The unlikely couple falls in love with each other deeply. We see their fights and their intimate moments, and then one gets diagnosed with an incurable disease only to die at the end of the film. Whether you’re a critic or a general movie-goer, we’ve seen this story. However, when it’s the woman in the relationship who is one to die, her last moments are about her family, her partner, and what she means to them.

It’s here where We Live In Time changes its formula. At the top of her lungs, angry and hurt, Almut screams that she can’t die as just someone’s mum. She can’t leave her daughter with no legacy to look up to and just memories of cancer taking her away. Almut can’t let her daughter only have the memories that she had of her dad when he died. It’s a conscious choice that unites two separate ideas that are often painted as being polar opposites, never to touch: ambition and family.

Until the last act, We Live In Time is good, but it isn’t great, at least so far as the narrative is concerned. The painful truths that Almut and Tobias share shake the audience. They love each other, but they also love what they define themselves by. Tobias defines himself by his family, Almut and their daughter. But for Almut, she has always been defined by her work and talent. By allowing the two to discuss their fears and grief, the story also allows them to meet each other where they need to.

We Live In Time thrives on Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield’s chemistry, but it succeeds because it showcases the different ways people love. For Tobias, his love is everything he can give, and for Almut, it’s everything she can leave behind. It may not revolutionize the romance genre, but it does make me yearn for more. I didn’t know this specific genre of film had more to give, but Pugh and Garfield have done it.

We Live In Time is in theaters on October 10, 2024.