“There’s a bit of magic in everything and some loss to even things out.”
“That’s an idea that runs very close to the heart in [the film] led by two extraordinary individuals who happen to be two extraordinary actors,” said John Crowley, director of We Live In Time, at the premiere in Roy Thomson Hall at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) two weeks ago.
“Hi, Andrew! Andrew!”
“Florence looks stunning!”
Reporters respectfully nudged the stars as they walked down the TIFF red carpet for the premiere.
I began questioning the praise these figures received as I heard the fans cheer for them outside of the theatre walls. What do they have that makes them so mesmerizing?Â
Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh performed an emotionally compelling story on the beauty of time before it instantly comes to an end — and it finally made sense once I watched it for myself.
We Live In Time follows a 20-something-year-old woman, Almut (Pugh), after she hits a 20-something-year-old boy, Tobias (Garfield), with a car while he is walking back from a shop. Their whirlwind of a romance and rollercoaster of a life story suddenly begin to unfold. Told through fragments of Almut and Tobias’ past and present, we see how they navigate life together despite Almut’s terminal illness.Â
We Live In Time fails to fit in the category of a typical tear-jerking romance story with two characters who battle with one another’s flaws. Rather it’s a slow burn of outside forces challenging the relationship of two individuals navigating a very challenging personal choice.Â
“I’m not saying I don’t want to do the treatments; I just want it to be the right choice.”
Almut faces an aggressive battle with her diagnosis of cancer after being told she has a six-month life expectancy. From then, she attempts to live her life to the fullest. The film does a fantastic job of highlighting the inevitability of human mortality and encourages us to pursue our dreams despite the hopeless moments.
Instead of fulfilling her dream of competing in an international cooking competition for herself, Almut decides to live to make memories with her daughter as she does not “want to just be someone’s dead mom.”
Time isn’t just a burden and this film presents a beautiful way of telling this concept. Rather than focusing solely on Almut’s illness, the story explores the witty and intimate moments of life together and life-changing decisions of existence to narrate the worthiness of life. Crowley emphasized that life should not be consumed by a single negative aspect. There is hope amidst the chaos and this is exemplified by a child blessed to Almut and Tobias during her treatments.Â
The film’s one-hour and 44-minute runtime was not spent on a heavy story about loss. Instead, the scenes were articulated to showcase the thrill of shaving mommy’s head for the first time while laughing about it to their phone screens, racing to get Almut to the hospital while hitting two cars on their way out of parallel parking, and getting out on the main road in the middle of traffic at a gas station to satisfy desperate cravings.
We Live In Time emphasizes that even though we must face our mortality regardless of the circumstances, it’s still fundamental to live in the present, go through our dreams and find joy in the face of hardship. And, most importantly, continue leading a life one must live in time.Â
We Live In Time is expected to be released to the public across North America on Oct. 11, 2024.