This review contains spoilers for We Live In Time; read at your own discretion.
When I first saw the leaked photos of Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield in April of 2023 for a rumored rom-com, I genuinely screamed so loud that my roommate ran into my room because she thought something was wrong. And boy was the wait worth it.
We Live in Time is a story about the complexities of human nature, as told through a relationship between two people at different stages of their lives, with and without each other. And spoiler alert: it’s completely and utterly devastating.
Pugh’s character, Almut, is a chef in London who meets Garfield’s character, Tobias, a Weetabix salesman, through an unusual meet-cute: by hitting him with her car. The movie develops through flashes of the future and the past— of Almut’s cancer diagnosis, her pregnancy, Tobias’ divorce, and the development of Tobias and Almut’s tumultuous love story that deals with issues such as infertility and work-life balance as parents.
One of my favorite parts of the film is when Garfield’s character admits his feelings to Almut following a very awkward conversation about how he differs from Almut’s determination that kids “aren’t her thing.” Tobias states, “I’m worried that there’s a very distinct and real possibility that I am about to fall in love with you.” The silence that followed stretched and stretched until it crescendoed. It left me speechless. We then see Almut and Tobias in their time apart, both regretting their breakup. However, following another romantic confrontation, they fall in love once again and, after discovering Almut’s cancer diagnosis, fight for the future they envisioned together.
The couple supports one another through infertility problems and the instability that accompanies it. Tobias is a very gentle and courteous partner; he is always there when Almut takes a pregnancy test and helps with her medication, her surgery, and her chemo. He is there every step of the way and never diminishes Almut’s dreams and her role in her restaurant during her treatment. Almut herself never backs away from the accolades she strives for as a world-class chef and a mom. They are both such wonderful human beings, and they treat each other with an immense amount of respect and tenderness. It’s a breath of fresh air to see a healthy romantic relationship on screen when the media seems to constantly promote toxic relationships nowadays.
Some of my favorite moments, however, are the smaller, more human ones. When Tobias proposes, he is so nervous that he cannot say the words out loud, so he writes them down. As Almut reads, we can see Tobias’ nervousness and the expression on Pugh’s face when she reaches the end of the page. It’s a romantic moment that’s so simple and so beautiful despite being on a much smaller scale than typically seen in film. Jade, Almut’s coworker, shaves their head in solidarity with Almut’s cancer diagnosis and her perseverance in completing a culinary championship despite her illness. I loved the emotional intimacy between the two chefs in this scene and the way they support one another and provide comfort in an environment where vulnerability is usually frowned upon. When Almut admits she used to figure skate with her Dad but stopped due to her grief after he passed due to a terminal illness, she describes how skating only reminded her of his absence— and so she doesn’t talk about it or him at all. I personally feel that grief and its power need to be acknowledged on a larger scale, and conversations such as this one about the loss of Almut’s father are the “first steps.” To me, these small moments are the most important and the most frequent in our everyday lives—and they’re the ones we take the most for granted.
As Almut’s cancer progresses and the treatments work less and less, she begins to feel powerless and strives to make sure she’ll leave her mark on the world before she dies. In the end, she sacrifices her time, her mental health, her parental responsibilities, and even her relationship with Tobias to make herself feel like her life isn’t a waste. My heart bled for Almut and her hope to be extraordinary, enough so that her daughter would be proud of her for fighting when death was so imminent.
Pugh and Garfield portray such complex and relatable human experiences that this review cannot possibly do their performances justice. You must see the film for yourself to appreciate them in all their glory. We Live in Time is a story of love and grief, especially grieving someone you love, and maybe even yourself, before their actual death. It was beautifully executed by the actors, the writers, and the director. I won’t say too much more about this devastating yet triumphant story; you just need to see it. Run to the nearest theater now.