It’s a time for coziness. With the arrival of autumn, a crispness has entered the afternoon air. Late into the semester, post-midterm and pre-final assignments pile up as omnipresent stressors.
Amid these conditions, I seek comfort. Warmth is a necessity. This season requires a film that plays precisely into expectations, one that delivers achy romance, longing and heartbreak with genuine emotion and thoughtful execution.
No film in theaters fits the bill better than “We Live in Time.”
“We Live in Time” depicts the winsome romance of Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) throughout various points in their relationship. Viewers see the love story slowly progress on multiple fronts, switching back and forth between present and past narratives. Moments of Tobias and Almut as parents precede scenes depicting Almut’s pregnancy, which then give way to sequences showing the pair’s initial flirtation.
We see this relationship at its inception. We see it at what could very well be its end. Most importantly, we see fleeting moments of beauty and joy in between. I found myself responding to this register the most.
This nonlinearity marks the most inventive narrative aspect of “We Live in Time,” and it’s impressively pulled off. Director John Crowley, screenwriter Nick Payne and editor Justine Wright manage to lead audiences through these multiple timelines with ease, yet they never hold hands through the chronal shifts. “We Live in Time” isn’t a film of date cards or aggressive visual cues; it simply depicts moments in time as they are, trusting its viewers to keep up.
It doesn’t take a genius to know this story barrels toward heartbreak. In fact, distributor A24 largely advertised the film as a tear-jerker, handing out branded tissues at early screenings. Trailers for the film play heavily into themes of limited time, emphasizing the life-threatening illness Almut faces, with Tobias pointedly noting that “Whether we like it or not, the clock is ticking.” “We Live in Time” doesn’t hide the reappearance of Almut’s cancer for a late reveal; by showing the narrative out of order, Crowley and Payne use one of the first scenes to establish the stakes of her diagnosis from the get-go. It’s a simple trick that forces you to cherish their time together more.
Payne excels at allowing audiences to live with his characters. By jumping around in the narrative, each scene evokes a moment instantly frozen in time, unencumbered by continuity or plot. In fact, many of the film’s weaker moments are those that drive the story, particularly in the present-day narrative. “We Live in Time” is at its best when its sole focus is giving audiences another snapshot of its central characters, regardless of how they got there.
Yet “We Live in Time” isn’t just a series of vignettes, nor does it feel gimmicky. The film boasts terrific pacing, each segment fitting together with the last without lag or confusion. Crowley, Payne and Wright’s construction of the film highlights the kind of craft that raises a film like “We Live in Time” from passable to truly good. It’s narratively slight, but told with skill and heart.
“We Live in Time” may advertise tragedy, but I find myself remembering the warmth of these performances far more, surely as intended. These are two charming, attractive actors who could elevate infomercials, here lending their talents to a swoony rom-com; there’s magic there, and Crowley knows how to capture it.
Nowhere is this more apparent than a sequence depicting the birth of Almut and Tobias’ child, Ella. Payne, a venerated playwright, creates a perfect storm of chaos, humor and beauty, used as a centerpiece for the film. Garfield and Pugh navigate it perfectly, creating an equally hilarious and heartfelt sequence that plays excellent in a crowd.
Garfield and Pugh’s performances wholly elevate the melodramatic romance, playing perfectly into their respective parts. The pair oozes chemistry, with each performer lending infectious charm and genuine pathos to their characters.
There’s not an overwhelming amount of depth behind either half of this couple. Pugh certainly gets the stronger part in Almut, an exceptionally driven woman striving to make the most of — and terrified of wasting — what time she has left. Aspects of her character feel truncated and broad, but she’s portrayed admirably. I don’t know that Pugh has it in her to give anything less than a committed, passionate performance, and “We Live in Time” is no different.
On the page, Garfield has far less to work with. Tobias largely lacks interiority and, seemingly, any interesting life outside of Almut. He’s a weepy, caring husband and father forced to carry a narrative on those traits alone. At times, it feels like he’s acting out an “Andrew Garfield Is a Supportive Husband After a Long Day at Work ASMR” on the big screen. To be fair, I can’t say that’s ineffective or uncompelling.
I’m not going to complain about one of our finest actors playing a compassionate, emotional, gentle husband in a tender romance film. Garfield simply has the “it” factor, honed through decades of performance, to elevate Tobias into a constantly engaging character. He’s not someone I’ll think much about after the credits roll, but he’s someone I won’t be able to look away from while the movie lasts.
Films like “We Live in Time” can no longer be taken for granted. It’s not every week that adult dramas get released in theaters, handsomely shot and starring true modern movie stars. “We Live in Time” is a well-constructed, compellingly told romance that plays well in a crowd and doesn’t settle for mediocrity. What’s to dislike about that?