Last night, I had the opportunity to watch We Live in Time, an A24 romantic drama starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh. The film was directed by John Crowley and executively produced by Benedict Cumberbatch, which I thought was interesting considering his prominent presence in the film industry.
I discovered the movie through a viral TikTok video of Andrew Garfield having a short but sweet conversation with Elmo. The video did a great job of appealing to the sentiment of the movie and was touching. It then raised the question of whether this movie would live up to the hype it’s been receiving online, so I’m here to break it down.
The movie revolves around Almut (Pugh) and Tobias (Garfield), who meet unexpectedly. The film follows their relationship, and due to unforeseen circumstances, their time together is limited, so the characters take us on a beautiful journey to navigate it together.
Tobias is sensitive and introspective, while Almut is strong-headed and resilient. It’s fascinating to see how they approach vulnerability differently, especially since they display contrasting stereotypes of how their genders are assumed to behave.
The way the actors performed these roles was fantastic. I think they understood the concept well and had a great deal of emotional intelligence. Their characters are very in touch with their emotions, and many people suggest that it feels like they are playing themselves.
The chemistry between Garfield and Pugh is incredible. It’s noticeable in real life how much they appreciate each other and get along. It’s also rewarding to see Pugh play such a human role since she’s played many thriller and action roles in films like Oppenheimer, Midsommer, and Dune.
We Live in Time explores themes of forgiveness, redemption, self-discovery, and healing. All these themes play with the consistent concept of time as the movie explores their relationship entirely out of order. The depiction is similar to recounting memories; you don’t think about them chronologically, but they all harmonize.
Showing the film this way does a great job of explaining the relativity of time and how it’s a construct that doesn’t exist, as if everything is happening simultaneously. It emphasizes the importance of presence and how memories can cause a ripple effect on a person’s life. While long gone, memories can remain alive with their lasting impact on choices and relationships. They are also so powerful that they are the bridge that brings people together regardless of their current situations.
The director did an amazing job choosing how to display and symbolize the movie. As much as I felt the plot’s heaviness, I also felt an equal amount of joy and laughter. I caught myself smiling during tender moments of the film.
The play on time throughout various scenes (outside of chronological order), was intelligent and spoke volumes. To demonstrate this, you may catch on to small details like timers and clocks.
What stuck with me, though, is that love and connection transcends timelines and lifetimes. The emotions created within an experience, whether it be between two people, a group of them, or yourself, remain alive through the memories we carry. But ultimately, we decide how these memories will affect us and how we choose to hold them. Inevitably, memories and experiences shape the people we are today, but how we decide to honor them is up to us.
So, was the movie worth it? I most definitely think it was. Did I sob? Not really, but I did shed a few tears. However, to me, it’s not about whether the movie makes you sob. It’s if the director and actors were able to transmit the message and impact they intended to give.
The film is phenomenal, and I would give it a solid 10/10!