American author Napoleon Hill once said, “Do not wait. The time will never be ‘just right.” In John Crowley’s latest film, We Live in Time, the beauty of a couple’s bond is within all the wrong moments of time.
This article contains spoilers for the movie ‘We Live in Time.’
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 6 at the Princess of Wales Theatre. It follows the love story of Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield), a couple in the United Kingdom who meet under unusual circumstances but soon find their lives entangled amongst one another. The two embark on a difficult yet heartwarming journey through dating, marriage to the unexpected surprises of life.
Director and producer Crowley is best known for his 2015 drama Brooklyn and 2007 indie film Boy A. In his case, his short list of cinematic credentials shows quality over quantity. In We Live in Time, Crowley strategically chooses to tell the story in a non-chronological order, an unconventionally bold choice for a 2024 romance film where most viewers are familiar and comfortable with a beginning, middle and a happily ever after.
During a Q&A following the premiere, Crowley admits the three time structures running against each other are meant to act as a “playful invitation” for the audience to piece the story together and as a result, viewers slowly attain the feeling that they’ve known this couple for their whole lives.
Personally, I am not the biggest fan of non-chronological movies because they can easily fall into the “too confusing and hard to follow” category (sorry, Tenet and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). However, this particular film has become the exception. Though the film jumps from one timeline to the next, it was still a joy to watch and that’s simply because of Pugh and Garfield. Even if you don’t enjoy the plot of this film, the one indisputable fact that cannot be argued is that Pugh and Garfield’s performances were electric.
The two had such an undeniable chemistry that was practically seeping through the big screen. From the moment they had their meet-cute in a hospital after Almut accidently hits Tobias with her car, to sharing a love for sweets to an unforgettably humorous gas station birth scene, the pair’s connection was there and it demanded attention.
Despite the film focussing heavily on Almut’s life versus Tobias’, I wouldn’t necessarily say it made his character take a back seat. In fact, I would say it actually brought out Garfield’s performance even more by highlighting Tobias’ naturally sentimental and kind traits as a boyfriend, husband and a father.
In particular, what I loved about the film is its consistent pattern of wrong timings where the pair is forced to tackle an issue they were not yet prepared for.
For instance, at the beginning of the film when audiences find out about Almut’s ovarian cancer treatment, she must decide whether to live six proactive months or 12 passive ones, during an inconvenient time where she is invited to enter an international chef competition.
Another example is when Tobias crashes Almut’s friend’s party, so that he can express his true feelings for her after a heated argument between the two about potentially having kids. Due to the non-linear style of the film, audiences do already know Almut chooses otherwise and gives birth to a girl named Elle, which brings me to the best and my favourite scene of all, the gas station birth.
This is one of the film’s most anxiety-inducing moments as it traps viewers into a small gas station bathroom with Almut at the height of discomfort and on the brink of labour. For such a nerve-racking scene, you would think the audience would feel nothing but tension and worry for the couple.
But, thanks to Garfield and a surprisingly funny pair of gas station workers, it was extremely entertaining to watch, so much so it had I and multiple others watching at the edge of their seats balancing laughter with a sense of unease. During this pinnacle time, the audience could collectively feel the angst, stress and chaos of the situation as if we were amongst the trio of makeshift gas station midwives.
It was the perfect emotional climax to an otherwise steady-going film and acted as a gateway for the audience to understand the rawness and intimacy of their relationship. Since every aspect of the couple’s journey has never been at the “right time,” it added an authentic and realistic lens to the film. It truly questions one to think how we should process the time we have.
Audiences were able to relate easily to the couple’s awkward moments (running through a street in a bathrobe, first dates), tough conversations (discussing kids, cancer treatments, priorities), and major life milestones (birth of a child, career achievements).
In the film, one of the important realizations Almut’s character has is that she refuses to have her life defined by her decline because of her stage three cancer diagnosis. She yearns to be remembered not only as a mother but as the accomplished, prestigious chef that she is for herself and for her daughter. However, as the symptoms of cancer creep up on her, she eventually learns that her family is enough for her.
We Live in Time is a testimony about how life should be lived to the fullest and how every moment should be cherished. In today’s era, the film will successfully age well for its unfiltered realness, deeply moving lessons and its ability to capture and test the limits of time. The abstract telling will essentially provide viewers with a challenge of deciding whether chemistry can outweigh the consecutive.
Pugh described the feeling of experiencing this film most accurately during the Q&A.
“It was such a pleasure shooting this movie. It was a true, true pleasure and watching it is just life unfolding, it’s so beautiful. We’re all doing it right now and it’s so amazing to make a movie that’s about something that we’re all doing,” she shared with tears welling in her eyes.
We Live in Time releases in Canadian theatres on Oct. 11.
