Review of the film “We Live in Time”

Opening limited theaters October 11 (with wide release October 18), ‘We live in timeis the new film from director John Crowley, who was behind such films as “Brooklynand widely panned adaptationGoldfinch.’

This latest project returns to scale to focus on one couple as they achieve various goals in their relationship, from a meet-cute (actually a car accident) to fights and reunions, parenthood and engagement.

Is We Live in Time worth your time?

The film’s biggest gimmick, until you get the hang of it and let your brain sort it out, is its non-linear nature; we follow Andrew GarfieldTobias with wet eyes and Florence Pughambitious, leading Almut through their shared history, but the pieces are chopped and rearranged, like a chef trying something new with a recipe (which turns out to be Almut’s specialty as a chef).

However, the entire story doesn’t always justify such narrative invention, as it’s essentially a sentimental story of love and loss dressed up in edgier indie clothes. But the central performances make up for this.

Script and directing

As mentioned, the screenplay by Nick Payne (Last Letter from Your Lover, Sense of an Ending) seems to play with time and mood to keep us on the edge of our seats and feeling forced to fill in the gaps in the narrative. It’s just that the figures are pretty predictable and it doesn’t feel like the gimmick was necessary. However, words on the page do have a profound effect on an actor’s performance.

Crowley, who has proven he can handle deep emotions without falling too far into self-indulgent sentimentality, doesn’t always avoid the same pitfall here, but he eventually starts to win you over with the help of Garfield and Pugh, who are both brilliant, and naturalists. feel the central connection.

Performances

The film is almost entirely given over to the two main actors, with almost everyone else simply being props to help move the story along.

Florence Pugh as Almut

Pugh is the film’s shining center, and not just because her headstrong chef is the true driving force of the story, as opposed to her co-star’s more passive influence. Pugh rarely puts a foot wrong as Almut, who strives to make an impact on the world through her cooking and sometimes puts it first above all else.

She’s a much more complex and nuanced character than her co-star, and it’s a role where Pugh really digs in and finds the layers. Almut is loving, sweet, determined, selfish, playful, and tough at various points in the story, but she is always charming, even when she is struggling to give birth to a baby in a gas station bathroom.

Andrew Garfield as Tobias

Garfield is a much more reserved character; we see him as a damaged divorcee whose ego is bruised. And then he’s bruised all over his body when Almut accidentally knocks him over during the film’s unforgettable first encounter.

The problem with Tobias is that he is painfully closed off to himself, except for the woman he loves. Obsessed with keeping records, he is clearly fascinated and incredibly in love with Almut, but that’s all we really see of him, except for some moments with his father.

He’s her support system, her sounding board, and while Garfield manages to learn more about his inner life (one scene where the pair discuss whether Almut will go for another round of cancer treatment or if they’ll just enjoy the time they have left), it’s a master class in facial expressions from I drink, but especially from Garfield.)

He’s better than the surly character on the page deserves, adding real depth to a relatively shallow figure.

Supporting cast

There are a few more actors who are signing up; mainly those who are in close contact with the couple –– Douglas Hodge is interesting as the sensitive architect father Tobias, who has a great relationship with his son (and Hodge has excellent father-son energy with Garfield). the same Lee Braithwaite as Jade, Almut’s sous chef, who is hired to compete alongside her in a big cooking competition that ends up becoming a source of drama between the couple.

Final Thoughts

There’s definitely a sense of familiarity when watching We Live in Time – there are plenty of films that trace relationships over time, and plenty of stories about people facing a cancer diagnosis and everything that comes with it. This new example won’t be of much interest to most people, despite its attempt to maintain interest by breaking the story down into parts.

However, as an acting showcase for two of Britain’s best actors, it’s certainly a welcome vehicle for Pugh and Garfield, and if its attempts to tug at heartstrings are sometimes a little too obvious, the eventual strength of the story really creeps up on you.

We Live in Time gets 6.5 out of 10 stars.

What is the story behind We Live in Time?

Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) meet in an unexpected encounter that changes their lives.

As they embark on a journey limited by time, they learn to appreciate every moment of the unconventional path their love story has taken.

Who stars in the movie We Live in Time?

Andrew Garfield in We Live in Time. Photo: StudioCanal.

Other films starring Andrew Garfield:

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