We Live in Time is intimate, mischievously funny, tender and stares you dead in the eyes as it pulls on your heartstrings. This movie hurts in such a good way.
Warning: contains some spoilers
Watching this movie felt like falling in love with a stranger at a stoplight, and then watching them drive away in slow motion, as the sunsets. Through the decade long, non-chronological, love story of Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield), the audience experiences not only the highs and lows of a love story cut short, but also gets to enjoy the magic of the mundane parts of life.
Director John Crowley made this movie beautifully idiosyncratic: Almut and Tobias’ dining table has a variety of wicker chairs rather than a matching set, the doctor who tells Almut her chemotherapy isn’t working offers her candy from the secret stash in her desk (she picks Mounds, by the way), and the unforgettable birth of Ella (Grace Delany) takes place on the bathroom floor of a petrol station with the aide of two complete strangers. All of these completely imperfect details and moments wonderfully highlight the humanity of the two starring characters, who are so easy to fall in love with and break your heart for.
Garfield and Pugh are pure magic on screen. Though Crowley is undoubtedly fortunate he had these two starlets to breathe life into an otherwise underwhelming script. The natural chemistry between the actors certainly does most of the heavy lifting for screenplay writer Nick Payne. For example, Tobias’ entire marriage proposal takes place between his teary-eyed gaze into Almut’s knowing eyes. On a positive note, the dialogue, albeit simple, is very sweet and helps to make this a timeless kind of love story, not bogged down with any ephemera like many modern romance films are.
Right now, We Live In Time is circulating as a tear-jerker with jump-cuts, a soul crushing narrative about love and loss. However, the film is also laugh out loud funny. The dichotomy of the film’s sadness and humor speaks to the truth that bad times aren’t always bad; even in the darkest part of the plot, there are pockets of humor sure to lighten the mood. Like the scene where Almut and Tobias attempt to tell their only daughter about Almut’s cancer diagnosis —the film doesn’t take itself too seriously. As a goofy waiter interrupts the little family’s private moment, making Tobias spazz out, there is an abrupt cut to them playing in a field and making do with the bad news.
The big plot device employed by Crowley is his three interwoven timelines that unveil how Almut and Tobias fell into bed and then into love. However, at times, it feels extremely disjointed. The audience can kind of see a division in time periods, indicated by changes in Almut’s hairstyle or Tobias’s living situations, but it is honestly very hard to discern. The average movie-goer would need to work extra hard to understand what’s going on and how to piece the story together.
As the film approaches Almut’s big cooking competition, the movie builds simultaneous feelings of dread and hope, as her biggest dreams are realized but at the cost of her health. Early on its established that Almut is the stronger character, Tobias’ unwavering support and love for her proves his character to be the true hero of the film. Its his dedication and devout tenderness that make this truly a feel-good film.
Almut’s triumph at the Bocuse d’Or heart warming and evocative of warm fuzzy feelings, but, it is undoubtedly cliche. Speaking from a narrative perspective, this climax seemed to trivialize all of the work that the film spent building up the significance of the smaller moments of the film. Speaking from the heart, the sequence of Almut competing in the highly competitive cooking competition paired with a montage of her unconditionally loving husband and daughter cheering her on in the stands, and ditching the competition to take them ice skating —brought me to tears and I am still trying to cope.
At the heart of the film is the message that we do not get enough time with our loved ones. When you walk away from the story of Almut and Tobias, despite its tragic ending, you’re left with high hopes and a full heart. This seems like an intentional nudge at the audience to focus on the good and cherish the little time we do have together.
Overall, this movie gets a 7.5/10 from VALLEY. We highly highly recomend it, and want to know your thoughts! Message us on Instagram or X at @VALLEYmag.
