- Director: John Crowley
- Screenplay: Nick Payne
- Cast: Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh
- Cinematography: Stuart Bentley
- Editing: Justine Wright
- Score: Bryce Dessner
- Genre: Romantic drama
- Runtime: 108 minutes
Take:
one plot.
Add:
a dollop of sentimentality.
a pinch of laugh out loud moments.
an ounce of hard-hitting reality.
Stir it all in a bowl, bake in the oven for 108 minutes – and voilà – you’ve got the touching story of a couple who navigate the chaos of illness and pregnancy, retaining warmth at its core.
Employing a non-linear structure, ‘We Live in Time‘ centres on chef Almut Brühl (Pugh) and Weetabix representative Tobias Durand (Garfield) (as to why they’ve randomly got Continental European-sounding names is anyone’s guess) and the decade they spend together. They meet when Almut runs Tobias down as he tries to cross a road at night whilst on the hunt for pens to sign divorce papers – not exactly the typical first date at Nando’s.
The timey-wimey narrative makes it a smidge confusing as to whereabouts they are in the timeline if not already spelled out to us viewers. Within the opening five minutes of the movie… *boom* Almut is suddenly pregnant …*boom* she’s now been diagnosed with cancer (the early reveal softens the blow a little, as opposed to a weepy second act revelation). It’s an unconventional approach to the usual ‘boy meets girl’ concept, a reflection of the unpredictable nature of life. You never know what’s going to hit you next (unless it’s Almut with her car again).
Other characters fade into the background – the film is carried by two engaging performances from Pugh and Garfield, the pair have a natural chemistry. Even though Almut’s fate is sealed at the beginning, you still root for the couple in spite of insurmountable odds.
Bring a box of tissues with you in case.
My rating: 8 / 10
SilverScreen 