There will never be a limit to the number of romance films that can be released. There are countless ways to tell their stories and various tropes that can suit them. It could be a heartfelt tale of how a couple serendipitously met one day on a bustling New York street, or a tragic story where two people are in forbidden love because their families are sworn enemies. John Crowley returns for his seventh film and second collaboration with Andrew Garfield, We Live in Time, which feels like the most basic love story one could tell but also demonstrates why simplicity can sometimes be the best choice.
We Live in Time follows the lives of Tobias (Andrew Garfield) and Almut (Florence Pugh) as they fall in love, start a family, and navigate the challenges of life together.
The Best Chemistry of All Time in ‘We Live In Time’
Time is a social construct. No one understands how it works, and no one ever will understand how it works. But it’s the most important element of all our lives and one of the few things we all have in common because we don’t have enough of it. It’s something that must be cherished alongside life, and We Live in Time does that well enough with its story to push that message forward, but its storytelling technique is what pulls it back from ever feeling effective and worthwhile.
When we meet our characters, the film throws us in at the peak of their lives: a loving family with Almut returning from her morning jogs, greeting her beautiful daughter Ella (Grace Delaney), making a parfait, and waking up her husband to taste test it for her. As much as the structure doesn’t majorly work for the film, there are a few instances, such as these, where it does work. From this opening scene, we get a sense of the type of relationship that Tobias and Almut have—a quick glimpse into their circumstances without having too much information being given away to them, saving some of the highs and lows for the rest of the film. This purely works, as this small moment shows off the chemistry that Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh both radiate.
Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are both Academy Award nominees; they’re both widely known for giving their all in the performances they’re in, and in recent years, they’ve been seen as rising stars, making more prominent appearances in movies. Andrew Garfield has had his fair share of romantic films, whereas Florence Pugh has never starred as a lead in one, making this her first. We Live in Time undoubtedly showcases the best of their talent and highlights how well they play off each other, which clearly contributed to the dialogue feeling natural. It was believable that these were two people who met by chance and eventually fell in love to the extent that they changed values they had promised to uphold from previous relationships.
The Importance Of Time In ‘We Live In Time’
It’s a simple film that’s just about life. There’s nothing more to it than seeing how this relationship between Almut and Tobias plays out; it’s a loving one. Even when they run into a situation that would seem to break up most relationships, Tobias is a character who is very soft and caring. Although Almut eventually breaks his trust, he still makes an attempt to understand why she has decided to do what she has done, and while he may still be quite upset in the moment, he takes the time to comfort her. It’s a beautiful film that will even have people who don’t normally cry when watching films weep their hearts out.
A conversation between Tobias and Almut towards the start of the film mirrors a scene that plays out in the end, and it’s one that feels harmonious in how it plays out. This is another instance where their storytelling technique of telling the story in a nonlinear fashion seemingly works out and feels like it adds something worthwhile to the overall story being told. If only the movie managed to have this sense of feeling with the rest of the nonlinear structure, but unfortunately, it falls through and doesn’t work out to the best of its capabilities for me. Almut, as a character, is very different from Tobias; she’s a chef who owns her own restaurant and is very competitive. While Tobias would rather have her take it slow while she deals with her health diagnosis, she has other plans; she wants to take part in the world’s biggest culinary competition.
It’s the message behind this film that helps it stand strong compared to so many romance movies that try to do something similar. We have so much time but also so little of it. While the easy thing is to think ahead to what’s coming in the future, there’s greater importance in focusing on the present. In this sense, I wish the decision behind the nonlinear structure aligned more with this message, as I would have been able to appreciate the film more for what it is.
Final Thoughts
We Live in Time is a beautiful and radiant love story starring two of the best actors of this generation, Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, who deliver chemistry unlike anything seen before. It’s a story that showcases true love in its purest form while also highlighting the importance of life and time, and how we should cherish them above all else. It goes without saying that we need more Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh in the near future, as they leave an enduring mark on us.
We Live In Time releases in UK cinemas on January 1, 2025. Check out a trailer below:
The Review
'We Live in Time'
We Live in Time is a beautiful and radiant love story that stars two of the best actors of this generation, Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, who deliver chemistry unlike anything seen before. It’s a story that showcases true love in its purest form while also showing the importance of life and time and how we should cherish those more than anything else. It goes without saying that we need more Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh in the near future, as they leave an enduring mark on us.
