As a British romantic drama led by Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, two of the most beloved and acclaimed actors of their generation, We Live in Time naturally gained a lot of attention and buzz ever since it was announced as a project. After its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and the release of the first official trailer, the anticipation around the film only built more and more. With so much talk around it before the official release in January in the UK, can the film live up to its own reputation? It is a challenge that John Crawley's latest movie welcomes and ultimately wins.
At the beginning of We Live in Time, Tobias Durant (Andrew Garfield) and Almut Brühl (Florence Pugh) meet because of a car crash. After Almut, a chef who used to be a figure skater, runs over Tobias, who is about to get a divorce from his wife, the two start bonding, resulting in an undeniable chemistry that leads to a relationship. But not everything is perfect, and the reality of a cruel world starts creeping in the couple's life as they are forced to confront the high and lows that life throws at them, but at least they face them together.
The film is held together by Pugh and Garfield's powerful and touching acting. Each of them delivers a layered character study that delves deep into their respective roles with an incredibly powerful performance by Pugh, who gives this role her all, and a quiet but extremely meaningful one by Garfield. But it is when the two actors are together that the film is at its best: it is truly a joy to see the two acting opposite each other to create such a real and beautiful love story. They are truly the beating heart of We Live in Time with an explosive chemistry that carries the audience through the film.
The non-linear narrative is also especially successful as it breaks away from the traditional structure of romance films to take the audience through the story in a much more original and refreshing way. While this has been used before in other films of the same genre — Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind inevitably comes to mind — the constant going back and forth between timelines works especially well to show the main couple's relationship milestones without falling into the trap of being too repetitive or predictable.
And in a day and age when the film industry seems to have been taken over by American movies, especially in the romantic comedy field, it's great to see We Live in Time is unabashedly a British film. Jokes annd references around Weetabix, chocolate oranges and digestives provide a specific cultural context, but the film's perfect balance between comedy and drama feels quintessentially British too. Audiences will be crying and laughing, sometimes in the very same scene.
Overall, We Live in Time is the perfect romantic drama for fans of the genre. Best enjoyed with an audience that will react to everything the movie has to offer, it's an emotional experience. Crawley's latest film ends up being a lot more than just about the love story, but it soon also becomes a poignant exploration of grief and a powerful reflection on life, love, and everything in between.
We Live in Time screened at the BFI London Film Festival 2024
